Heaven Help Us Now
by Maryssah Maiden of Pulchritude
Summary: The storm had been far off at one point. But the further we ran, the closer it seemed to become.
1. Chapter 1

-1**Disclaimer: No own.**

**XXXXXX**

_**Heaven Help Us Now**_

On the night of the storm, there was chaos.

I remember it so vividly. Everyone was running, searching for a place to hide. There were explosions everywhere, and it was every manwomanchild for themselves. There was hitting, kicking, screaming…and I couldn't find my brother. An explosion went off, maybe ten yards in front of me, and from the fire came the Organization.

In my mind it is all so clear - like I am still there, even after the fact. Master Xemnas was at the head, in all his Godlike glory. Xigbar was to his left, Xaldin the right - both wielding the weapon of his choice. Fear - mind numbing fear - swelled inside the hearts of all the people standing in the shadow of these Holy Men. And I still could not find my brother.

Scrambling away before they spotted me, still on my hands and knees, I was struck by how awe-inspiring these men were. I thought that, surely if they were not trying to take over by brute force alone, we would welcome them with open arms. Surely, if he had not killed the king before him, we would crown his Godliness with all the love and care in our hearts. But the Saints do not see it this way.

I look back up just in time to see Lord Vexen leading a group of people behind him. They - the Holy Men - call them workers and slaves. We - the peasants - call them family. I search the faces of the people - children, teenagers, adults - but still cannot find my brother.

One child in particular strikes my interest. It's like looking into some sort of warped mirror. The girl has auburn hair and indigo eyes, and I imagine she was royalty at one point in her life. There is no way she could have been anything but a princess, but she looks so…broken. Her face, with features so similar to my own, is marred by the soot and the ash from the fire. She has stopped to assist the boy that has fallen behind her, despite the chain and collar fastened around her neck, damning her eternally.

Despite myself, I think we could have been friends once. As I watch her help the boy up, take the hits that Sir Lexaeus rains down upon her, all for this boy, I wish we had been. If she had not been born blessed, and I had not been born poor, we may have been friends. I come back to my senses as she finally gets the boy up. I see the boy's face - so much like _his_ - and I am beside myself. Now is not the time for such childish illusions. Now, I must find my brother.

**XXXXXX**

_On the night he was born, there was fear._

_Our family was poor, and when Mother went into labor, it was too late to even beg our way into a hospital. Mother crawled into the barn, and Father instructed me on what to get. I was only six, but even I understood the situation we were in. There was snow on the ground and Mother was sick. The implications weighed heavy on our hearts._

_Hours after Mother went into labor, she finally had our child. I do not use the term "our child" in the wrong context, for it truly did belong to all of us. When Father brought it into the house, I felt great pain. But he stopped and told me to help Mother inside as best as I could, and to be prepared. The boy - a brother! - would be sick as well._

_In our room, Mother fed the child. When he was finished filling his small belly, Mother just looked at him. Then she handed him to Father, and she cried. Father held the blessing close, and led us to the living room. When we settled down and were able to slightly tune out Mother's broken wails, he handed the unnamed child to me. I tucked him safely against my chest, and I made a promise. I would take care of this boy for as long as he needed. I would feed him and bathe him and teach him everything there is to know about the world and it's people. I would protect him._

_Roxas._

**XXXXXX**

I saw the red before anything else, and my mind instinctively told me "fire." I went to run, only to have something fall on me, preventing my escape. It was then that I realized I was on the ground, and my head was pounding.

"Hold still, let me heal it."

The voice was slightly harsh, but there was care in it. I fisted my hand and plunged it into the object on top of me. It let out a pained noise, and then the red left my vision.

"…trying to hold her still…punch me…hurry it up, kid…don't have all day…"

Snippets of conversation and cool hands on my - probably bleeding - head. People. Where did they find me? Where did they come from?

"Axel, pick her up. Larxene, bring me the cloth. Can you get more water, Demyx? No! Do-Zexion, stay by the door!"

Names and no faces. Who are these people? Why are they helping me? I try to open my eyes and fail. Instead, I open my mouth to ask these questions. All that comes out, though, is…

"No."

**XXXXXX**

_They day Mother died was quiet._

_Even Roxas hushed when her crying ceased, and Father knew something was wrong. We all knew she was gone, that we should go move her - bury her - do something. Neither of us could do it, and we knew that we were just postponing the inevitable._

_When Father finally went to her, he was gone for hours. I let Roxas sit in the sink and play with the army figurines I collected. I don't know how long we stayed in those positions - Roxas picking at the little men, me leaning over the tub in one of Father's old shirts - but when we finally moved, my back hurt._

_Father found a nice rock and dug her a nice hole, and lowered her body into it. She was finally asleep. There was no big procession, there was no gathering, there was no pained cry of "Aerith, don't go!" There was just us - we three - her family. There was just enough. It was then that I realized something, and it has stayed true to this day._

_Real storms - the ones that matter - never start with rain._

**XXXXXX**

"How are you feeling?"

The first words I'd actually heard in what must have been days. Upon opening my eyes, I saw two pools of emerald. Someone's eyes? Soon enough, the person moved back, and there was a smile on his face.

"Marluxia!! She's awake!"

There was the shuffling of feet, the dropping of what sounded like aluminum, and then there were five relieved faces hovering above my own. For some reason, the fact that they were relieved comforted me, even though I didn't know them.

"Hey, cool! Another girl!!"

With that cry, the tension - however little there was - had been broken. After they had settled me in, given me food and water, I found out their names. Axel, the boy I had punched, was the strength. Demyx played music and collected firewood. Larxene usually fought with Axel, and became the comic relief because of that and her antennae-like hair. She had also been the only girl. Zexion was the one that planned how and when they would go from place-to-place, and Riku found their food. Marluxia was the doctor, which I figured out for myself. He had been the one to fix my head.

"We were orphaned when the men destroyed our homes," Marluxia explained, "so we banded together."

"We found you on the side of the road after the explosions! We couldn't just leave you there," Demyx explained.

Marluxia nodded in agreement. "Your head was bleeding pretty bad. But it's okay, we fixed you up."

All of them had some sort of disposition. Most of them were childish. Somehow, though, I had a feeling. Somehow, I knew they'd help me find him.

**XXXXXX**

_They came for him one night._

_Father protested vigorously. He said that they couldn't do that, couldn't take him away, not from us - not from me. Lord Saïx just smiled in that apathetic way and struck Father down. He said that he would be back tomorrow - with Master Xemnas - to take the boy. He left in a flourish, and Father stayed on the ground._

_When Father finally rose up from his stupor, his face was calm. I knew the truth, however. In his eyes there was calamity. He was worried and frustrated, and he didn't know exactly what to do. So he drug me to our room, taking care not to wake Roxas, and began shoving food and clothes into a battered duffle bag._

_Father explained that they wanted Roxas. He was still so young - just three years old - and very impressionable. He said that they wished to take him and mold him into something they could use to their advantage. He said he would not allow that._

_The next night they would come back. I was to wait until the Holy Men were gone, and I was to take Roxas and run. Father said to find our aunt or uncle, if we could._

_The men came back, and Father stood his ground. Roxas and I hid in the shadows while they "conversed." We were supposed to be hiding our faces. Roxas hid - I watched. I was nine, Roxas three. At twenty-nine years old, that night was the end of Cloud Strife. It was the end of our old lives, and the beginning of something more._

_He had said to take care of Roxas, to take care of myself, but most importantly, to run. After his body hit the floor, that is exactly what I did._

_And the storm grew ever closer._

**XXXXXX**

**Well, here it is. I was all…depressed and stuff, and I'm taking my time on Nami's party in SoTL. So, this is cool and…stuff. Right?**

**Review please? More will come, yes sir.**


	2. Chapter 2

-1_**Chapter Two**_

We were on the move. Zexion said we needed to move swiftly and quietly, but to keep to the shadows. I was an expert at this, for I had been carting my brother and I around for nearly six years. We stopped every three or for hours - rest, food, water, damage control. My head was pounding, but I couldn't stop. This was a mission, and I understood its weight. Resting for too long in one spot would be suicide.

Two days and three hours after we left the rundown shack they had fixed me up in, and Marluxia said we were getting close. We could rest for longer periods between running. They weren't much longer, true, but any amount of rest was good enough. Here was I, running with a group of teenagers I hardly knew, head pounding, and still oblivious to where our destination was. I understood why they were afraid of telling me. I was new - I may not be able to keep such a valuable piece of information to myself.

We came across a pond and Zexion said that this was where we would sleep. There was a lot of underbrush and foliage, and plenty of bushes we could hide - and sleep - in. Everyone set about doing the jobs they had assigned themselves - Marluxia told me to sit and watch. My head was bleeding again - not a good sign - and my breathing was getting shallow. As Marluxia doctored my head, Axel set up a place for the fire, and Larxene got the bushes ready for us to sleep in, I dreamed.

**XXXXXX**

"_Say it with me. Come on. Wah-ter. Can you say that?"_

"_Wa-thuh."_

"_No, no. Wah-"_

"_Wa-"_

"_-ter."_

"_-thuh!"_

_Roxas was four and he still had trouble speaking. It was understandable - he never really had parents to teach him. I talked to him all the time, but I was only ten. I didn't realize that "talking" and "teaching" were two different things._

"_Thtawh."_

_I looked down into his face - all blue eyes, blonde hair and baby fat - and smiled. He smiled back, happy to see me happy. Then he pointed to the sky, smile still on his face._

"_Plath thtawh."_

_I looked to where he was pointing - flash star? - and almost had a heart attack. There was a red flashing light in what seemed to be the sky. I knew better. Stars weren't supposed to be red, and I was pretty sure that a tree was blocking the sky. Someone was there. Someone was watching us._

"_Stand up."_

"_Why?"_

"_Roxas, sweetie, stand up. Go hide over in the bushes."_

_He reluctantly did as he was told, and I made my way to the tree, picking up a rock on the way. I had a good arm, I knew. I'd stone them out of the tree. When I knew I was close enough, I hid myself and looked back. I couldn't see Roxas. Good. Turning back to the tree, I pulled my arm back and hurled the rock as hard as I could. There was a thump, leaves rustling, and a shadow jumped down and ran. I watched it go._

_Having it leave was good enough for me._

**XXXXXX**

There was a fire pit when I awoke. I could hear the fire crackling, feel its warmth. I could smell fish, too. Had Riku caught fish? I opened my eyes to see Larxene and Axel eating the fish like ravenous wolves. It was strange, because the sight comforted me. I sat up rather slowly and took in my surroundings. Demyx was hanging his feet in the pond water, Marluxia was picking at a loose thread on his shirt, Riku was throwing rocks into the pond, and Zexion was reading.

I pulled myself up and made my painful way over to Marluxia. When I got to his side, I dropped myself down and attempted to catch my breath. Looking closer, I saw that he wasn't really picking at a thread. He was drawing small patterns on his shirt with his finger. I don't know how long I sat there watching him, but when he finally looked up at me, he was smiling.

"There's a place not far from here. People go there when they need help. That's our destination."

I nodded, dumbstruck. It just occurred to me that, maybe, these people have a purpose out here as well. Looking at Marluxia, into his shining eyes, I felt selfish. Here I was, thinking about myself, when these kids were trying to help me, help themselves, help each other - all at the same time. Guilt filled my body as I refocused on Marluxia and sighed.

"So…why are you here?"

**XXXXXX**

"_Hey, where's her house?"_

_Roxas had finally learned to talk at age six. I had gotten better at teaching him within the last two years. The horrible thing about it, though, was that he complained a lot. Right now he was simultaneously asking and complaining about our aunt._

"_I don't know, Roxas. Aunt Tifa is always moving, so we have to ask around."_

"_Why?"_

"_Because since King Mickey appointed Xemnas to the castle guard, staying in one place isn't really safe."_

"_Holy man? He's not good?"_

"_It's not that he's bad, Roxas. He's just not safe."_

_Roxas quieted, pretending to understand. He didn't, and he knew that I knew this, but he liked to please me. Looking at him, I realized that his collar and hip bones were jutting out at awkward angles. I would need to give him more food. It would need to happen soon._

**XXXXXX**

Marluxia was surprised at my question. Instead of answering me, he just laughed and shook his head. I didn't understand his aversion, he knew.

"Why don't you answer your own question? I'm sure we all would like to know."

Apprehension. Why should I? I hardly knew these people. What if they used it against me? _What if they knew where he was?_ What if they left me after I told them? Something told me they would not. They had been kind to me so far, so why would they change now? Marluxia had even deemed me suitable to handle the little bit of information he had given. I suppose they deserved a bit of information about myself. I doubt they even knew my name.

"My name is Naminé, and I'm sixteen."

"Basic information was not part of the question you asked."

I knew that, of course. I was trying to stall, buy time. I didn't want to tell them something so important…I didn't know if I could handle it. Instead of keeping quiet, I swallowed my fear and spoke.

"I can't find my brother."

This caught everyone's attention, and they all moved closer. After some shuffling about and rearranging, it ended with Zexion and Marluxia sitting on either side of me, the other four facing us. Zexion nudged my side with his elbow, urging me to continue.

"I lost him, and I'm worried. He's only ten! Something may have happened, someone could have hurt him, and…"

And so, I began telling them part of my story.

**XXXXXX**

**I do believe that this was shorter than the first chapter. But that's okay. I do enjoy the way this is turning out, don't you? Not many people are reading it, but that's okay. I mean, I doubt many people read the zeximé pairing anyway, right? I don't think they do, anyway. It's crazy, because it's sort of like with SoTL. I have the basic plot all figured up in my head!! Yay me!**

**Once again on a personal note: I dislike people. And not just certain people, oh no. Just people in general. I mean, sure, some of them are okay. I can tolerate most of them, too. It's just that, some people make me want to shoot them!! Grah!! -beats head on desk-**

**I think I may become a hermit. And just, like, sit in my house and write stories.**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter Three**_

_He is everything to me._

_He is my sun, moon and star. He is my heart. He is my world._

_I have taken care of him since he was born. He is six years my junior, but we are best friends. I fed him his first solid food, watched his first steps, was the only one to hear his first word. I taught him how to carve wood, bandage a cut, stitch a gash, heal a wound. I taught him to scavenge for food and drink. I taught him to fight. We lived for each other. We fought for each other. And, though I did not know it at the time, we would die for each other. We were always together, even when he wasn't __**right here.**_

_So, when I stopped feeling him, I panicked._

_We had gotten separated. There had been a riot about a year before the storm, and we parted ways. There was a spot we had established as a meeting place. It was a secret, and we shared it with three different people. If we ever got lost or separated, we were to go back there and wait. After the riot, that is where I was headed. It would take one week to get back there, from where I had been._

_When I started the journey back, I could still feel him. Three days later, running only on two hours of sleep, his presence went away. Thinking it was the lack of sleep, I rested. Waking up, I still couldn't feel him. I sprinted the next two days, and made it two the spot sooner than I should have. I collapsed on the couch and slept for, what they later told me, three days. When I woke up, he still wasn't there. The other three - Hayner, Pence, Olette - tried to make me stay. I left anyway._

_I've searched for a year and can't find him. He's still out there somewhere, I know he is. But I can't feel him in my mind any more. I can't protect him any more._

_I broke my promise._

**XXXXXX**

They were sort of shocked. They were quiet, not staring at me. Looking anywhere but me. I suppose they may have felt some sort of connection. Maybe they couldn't believe that I still thought he was alive. Whatever the reason, they were silent and avoiding my gaze.

Maybe, after it all sinks in, one of them will tell me their story. I can only hope, though, because nothing is as it seems with these people. Maybe, like me, they're missing something - a part of their family, a part of themselves. Maybe we have more in common than just being orphans. Maybe…

I was brought out of my thoughts by someone grabbing my arm and pulling on it. Refocusing, I saw that it was Larxene, and that she was attempting to pull me away to where we - the girls - would sleep. I stood up and walked instead of letting her pull me.

When we arrived to our "beds," she starting puttering around with blankets. We had two, so we decided to share - one as a pillow, one to cover up with. She handed me a plate of fish - "I managed to hide some from Axel." - and showed me a place where I could sit. When she figured I was comfortable, she smiled at me.

"I have a story, too. Did you know that?"

I half nodded my head, half shook it. I had hoped that she had a story she would tell me, but I wasn't sure.

"Would you like to hear it?"

I nodded, excited. She was opening up. Maybe she would be my first friend outside of Roxas?

"Okay. Can you wait, though? Just until the boys go to sleep. They don't know it, and I really don't want them to - not yet."

And so I waited.

**XXXXXX**

_We found a nice little place. It was in a back ally of Twilight Town, and the door was made of a tattered red cloth. There was also a torn up couch in there. It was small, it was cozy, and it reminded us of home. We decided to stay there for a while - it was obvious that no one would find us there._

_Three days went by and we hadn't left the place - except to get food. I let Roxas sleep on the little couch, and I took the floor. Roxas was responsible for finding water and fruit, when he could pilfer it. At the age of eight, he was better at stealing than he should have been. I was the one that found everything else - old clothes, bread, maybe vegetables. We rarely had meat, because when a family had meat, they made sure not to waste. We lived a happy little life there, but one day we got a surprise._

_I had jolted awake on the fourth day of staying there, out of breath. Someone besides Roxas was there. Slowly my eyes opened, and I saw Roxas was already awake and staring at me. I sat up, and there they were. Three children that looked to be around Roxas' age. One boy - the oldest, it looked - had dishwater blonde hair and brown eyes. The other boy was a brunette with brown eyes. The youngest - a girl - had chocolate brown hair and emerald green eyes. I wondered aloud why they were there._

_The boy with the blonde-ish hair (Hayner) was the oldest at nine. The boy with the brown hair (Pence) was eight. The girl (Olette) was the youngest at seven. They had been staying there, in the spot they called The Secret Place, since they were small. They did not appreciate coming into their home and finding unexpected visitors._

_They said we could stay there for as long as we needed, and come back as much as we wanted. Of course, we had to explain ourselves first, but they finally said it. We stayed for a week more, stocking up on things we'd need for the rest of our journey._

_At the age of fourteen, I got to experience Roxas' first heartbreak. He had finally made his first friends outside of me, and we had to leave them behind._

_What I didn't realize then was that we wouldn't be seeing Hayner, Pence and Olette for a while. If I had, we wouldn't have left when we did._

**XXXXXX**

The boys finally went to sleep around midnight. Larxene had told me to rest, maybe sleep, while we waited. I did as she had said, and was quick to rise when she shook me. She smiled in an apologetic way, and motioned to the pond. I followed in silence, and stood by the edge of the pond when she sat. We looked out at the water for around ten minutes before she finally said something.

"Demyx is my little brother. Did you know that?"

I shook my head in response. She smiled, picked up a rock, and skipped it before continuing.

"When we were little, maybe seven and eight, our dad died. The holy men found our mother a well-paying job. But it was only enough money for one child, not two. She found herself a job at this orphanage, right? She used to cart us back and forth every night. That's how we met Marluxia and Zexion. We're not sure how they were orphaned, but they were."

She looked up at me, watching my face. I skillfully kept it impassive. Upon seeing this, she continued.

"Well, about two years after Mom go the job, I was ten and Demyx was nine. Anyways, we were sitting there, - Marluxia, Zexion, Demyx and I - and Mom was teaching us how to add the really big numbers, yanno? Then this guy walked in. He was, like, big. Body-builder big. He introduced himself as Sir Lexaeus to my mother, and said that she needed to assist him. He said that they had found two orphans, and that this was the only orphanage that had room. So, Mom took what little things they had and brought them inside. That was when we were introduced to Axel and Riku."

I nodded, knowing she was looking at me.

"Did you know that Axel and Riku are cousins?"

I shook my head. "How were they orphaned?"

Larxene smiled and looked back out at the water. As she pulled her knees up to her chest, I sat down and crossed my legs. "That's not my story to tell, Naminé."

Larxene leaned slightly towards me. "You wanna hear about how me and Demyx lost our mom?"

I nodded silently. I had no idea that Larxene was so talkative.

"So, it was four years ago, which means I was thirteen, Demyx was twelve. Axel and Riku were twelve, too, Zexion was my age, and Marluxia was fourteen. Anyway, the day started out pretty normal. Mom was teaching us multiplication as best as she could, and we were eating cereal. It had been maybe an hour since we had settled down at the table, which was around nine-thirty. Then, Lord Saïx arrived.

"It was so scary. He was all berserk, and he kept threatening to take the six of us out and slaughter us one by one if Mom didn't give 'it' to him. I figure that he would have, too, but he didn't because Lords Xaldin and Xigbar were there, and telling him not to. Lord Saïx left in a huff, and we resumed what we had been doing, rather nervously.

"That night, Marluxia shook Demyx and I awake and said we had to run. He had a bag, and it was virtually empty. So he drug Demyx and I out of there, and we stood there and watched our home burn, waiting for Mom. She never came out."

I heard Larxene's voice crack, and that was the only warning I had before she was in my arms - all dirt, tears, snot and blood - shaking and sobbing and begging me to stay with her. I rubbed comforting circles on her back and sang her a song that my mother used to sing to me when I was upset.

Larxene and I never did get any sleep.

**XXXXXX**

**Okay, so. Third chapter, and we're delving deeper into Nami's life and the lives of two of her companions. Isn't that interesting? We will learn about another person next chapter, and more about Aunt Tifa and where Roxas may be! -gasp- Oh the suspense.**

**No, not really. Just review, okay? I haven't been having a good week at school, and it's only Monday.**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter Four**_

We left the area the next day. Larxene and I were running on nothing at all, but we didn't stop. Zexion said we should get to the house-thing by the end of the day, if we didn't stop for too long at a time. Riku and Demyx were carrying the bags with the blankets in them, and Marluxia was scouting up ahead. Larxene was in the back, directly behind Demyx. I think that, being the oldest two in the group, Marluxia and Larxene felt compelled to make sure that we younger kids wouldn't get hurt.

By the third hour of running, I was lagging behind. I was very tired, and the five-minute rests we took weren't really helping me. If anything, they were making it worse. I would do better if it was a continuous run. Zexion seemed to notice, and he sped ahead to talk to Marluxia. The next thing I knew, Zexion was next to me and Axel was dropping out of a tree in front of us. I was very confused.

"I told Marluxia that you were tired, and that we would catch up later," Zexion answered my unasked question, holding up a bag. "He told Axel to stay back with us, as well."

Axel nodded and walked up at a leisurely pace. "You need sleep, kiddo. We'll rest with you."

I scrunched up my nose. "Why not just go? I'm sure I could find my way by myself."

Zexion shook his head as he led Axel and I to the trees. "We don't leave anyone behind. It's sort of a rule."

Axel began putting a blanket out for me to lay on. "And if we lose someone, we go back and find them. We only have each other out here, yanno?"

I nodded as Axel rolled up a blanket that I could use as a pillow. "So, how about you tell us a little more of your story. Or are you too tired?"

I shook my head as I sat down. "No. I can tell you about someone."

"Who?"

"Our aunt."

**XXXXXX**

_Our aunt moved around a lot. Father had always told me she did, but I really didn't believe him. After a while, though, I couldn't help it. Roxas and I had been searching for six years, and we still couldn't find her. It was the only logical explanation. When we asked people, they always pointed us toward Hollow Bastion. When we got to Hollow Bastion and we asked around, we got stories._

_Apparently, our aunt had enraged Master Xemnas himself. We aren't sure how - nobody is - but she did it. He went and burned her house down, hoping to be rid of her. She had known, though, and she had run. She goes from place to place now, but somehow always comes back to Hollow Bastion. I was told to wait there with Roxas, and that she would arrive soon. We waited for three weeks that year, but she never showed._

_Roxas was nine years old, I was fifteen. We had only ever seen our aunt once in our lives, but Roxas was too young to remember her. I remember, though, and I always will. I remember everything about her, and I will always, __**always**__ remember her name._

_Tifa Lockhart._

**XXXXXX**

Axel jumped up. "NO WAY!!"

"Huh?"

Zexion leaned forward, eyes wide. "You're related to Tifa Lockhart? **The** Tifa Lockhart?"

"Um, yes?"

Axel was still jumping around, pumping his fists in the air. Having heard my answer, Zexion sat back against the tree. I don't understand what the big deal is. She's just a woman, right?

"You're aunt is an amazing person, Naminé."

I looked up at Zexion, surprised he was still talking. Out of the whole group, Zexion and Riku were the **least** talkative people.

"She actually helped me out, after I lost my father. She helped all of us, too, after the orphanage burned."

"She was absolutely fantastic, Naminé! You should have seen her. There were these bandits, right? It had been a couple months since the fire, and we had gathered a lot of stuff up. These bandits surrounded us, and we really weren't in the condition to fight. So the biggest guy - the leader - he went and tried to attack Demyx, who was in the worst shape. Then all of a sudden Tifa dropped down right in front of Demyx, and punched the big guy in the face! We knew who she was as soon as we had seen her - we had heard stories about her for a while. She was a flurry of fists and feet - it was crazy!

"After she helped us out of that mess, she brought us to the place we're going to now. She's a really great person, she is! I can't believe you're related to her, Nami! You're so lucky, really, you are…"

As Axel went on and on about Aunt Tifa, Zexion started reading. I tried to watch him read and listen to Axel talk, but I was tired and I was sad. I started drifting off.

Before I fell completely asleep, I saw something. I had my eyes closed, so I knew it was in my mind. It started off small - barely there - but it slowly grew bigger and brighter. It was a spark at first, then a flickering flame - and it was blue.

He was there.

**XXXXXX**

When I woke up, Zexion was already stuffing the blanket I'd been using into a bag, and Axel was darting about nervously. Was something wrong? Maybe they just wanted to get to the place quickly? As I sluggishly stood up and began helping Zexion, I knew it wasn't true. Zexion was talking to me, barely in a whisper, so I had to read his lips to understand.

"Someone was watching us. We have to go, quickly and quietly. Keep to the shadows, don't fall behind. We're moving **away** from our destination - maybe we'll lose him."

Axel popped up behind me and snagged the bag away from Zexion. If I hadn't been really listening, I wouldn't have heard what he'd said.

"Move."

So we ran, as fast as we could, in the direction we had come from. We were leaving them - Marluxia, Larxene, Riku and Demyx - and they had no idea. But, when they notice we haven't arrived, they will come for us…

I hope.

**XXXXXX**

"_Roxas?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"…_run."_

**XXXXXX**

**So, it's sort of a cliffhanger…Umm, let's see here…I think it's a little shorter than the others, but that's okay. I like how this chapter turned out. And some stuff about Tifa, whoo! So, here you go. Hope you enjoyed it, and drop a review.**

**Loves much.**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter Five**_

"…_what?"_

"_Roxas run! Hurry, go!"_

_Roxas looked at me, thinking I was joking. When he saw the look in my eyes, he knew that I wasn't. He grabbed up his bag and took off, away from where we were. He was going toward Twilight Town, toward the Secret Place, where he knew he'd be safe. I pulled out a chipped and rusty pocket knife, glaring in the direction of the offender._

"_Show me your face."_

_So she did._

**XXXXXX**

I'm having trouble breathing. My chest hurts and I'm pretty sure my throat is beginning to close up. We've been running for nearly three days with no breaks, twisting, turning and going down random alleys. The man is still following us, and I don't quite understand how. My lungs are burning and I don't think that I can run any more.

"Ah-Axel, Z-Zexion! Can we…can we stop?"

They both answered with "No." They were ahead of me, so they may not have noticed my condition. I tried to catch up, but the harder I tried, the farther behind I fell.

"Ah! P-please?"

"No."

I whimpered pathetically. There was no way I could keep this up. I saw Zexion and Axel jump over something, and knew that I would have to as well. I also knew that I wouldn't be able to. I came to the object - a rather large tree branch - and fell over it. I think I may have yelped in pain, because I heard the boys yell my name. Then it got dark.

**XXXXXX**

_She was kind of small. Only she was taller than me. She was skinnier than me, too. I didn't understand how that was possible. Her blackbrown hair was knotted and scraggly, much like mine, and her blackvioletbrown eyes had a bit of a spark in them, like she knew something that no one else did, and went crazy because of it.._

"_Why'd you send him away?"_

"_What do you want?"_

_She was eyeing the pocket knife warily, obviously put off by it. I tightened my hold, wanting an answer. I hardened my glare, as well, and pierced her with it. She recoiled as if I had stabbed her with the pocket knife in my fist._

"_Why are you here?"_

_The girl's eyes darted around in her head. It looked sort of like she was scanning the area, a frightened look on her face. Then, when it seemed she had given up on finding anything, she fixed her gaze upon me once more._

"_Can you help me?" she whispered quietly._

_I scrunched my face up. I had heard her - read her lips, actually - but I wanted to hear her say it out loud._

"_What?"_

"_C-can you help me?" she whimpered loudly._

_It was then that I noticed she was clutching her bare side, and it looked like blood was running down the outside of her leg. When I opened my mouth to ask what had happened, she fell over._

_I would have to help her. I had no choice._

**XXXXXX**

"Naminé!"

I groaned. My foot hurt and my head was pounding once again, so waking up to someone yelling my name wasn't such a good thing.

"Naminé! Come on, wake up!"

Was that Axel or Zexion? Were we still moving? What was going on?

"Nami! Come on, kid, please! Wake up!"

There was a hand on my head, and one prying at my eyes. I involuntarily batted it away. Then there was a hand over my mouth, which I think was trying to help me breath. I didn't like it, so I bit it.

"Ow! What the hell?"

That was definitely Axel. I peeled my right eye open and looked directly at his face.

"Don't yell. Head hurts."

"Hey, Zexion! She's awake!"

"I said don't yell…"

Zexion shuffled over to where I was as I opened my left eye as well. He looked kind of worried.

"Good. I was wonder…ing… Why is your hand bleeding?"

"She bit me!"

"You probably deserved it," Zexion said while bending over me and rolling his eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I was hit by an Organization tank."

He smiled softly. "I would imagine. Now, I have a small question."

"Okay," I mumbled while slowly sitting up. "What is it?"

"Why did you have such trouble back there? And before as well?"

I sighed. I had known it was coming. "Nearly seven years of malnutrition will do that to a person, no matter how strong they are."

Zexion nodded and went back to the stove. Wait, what? Why is there a stove? There shouldn't be a stove!

"Uh…uh…"

The next thing I heard were footsteps from above me. There was an upstairs? We were in a two-story building? I finally realized that, maybe, I needed to take in my surroundings.

Someone definitely lived here, and they definitely had more money than I used to. However, it wasn't enough to make the be considered wealthy. This person was lower middle class, at best. There was a stove, which Zexion was currently standing at, a refrigerator, a microwave, and a lot of cabinets. I was laying on the couch in the living room, and Axel was sitting in an armchair. There was even a television set! The stairs were near the right wall of the living room, as well.

"Axel?"

"Yeh?"

"Who lives…"

Before I had time to finish my question, I saw boots on the stairs. Then I saw legs, then a stomach, and then the man was down the stairs and at the end of the couch. I felt a smile spread across my face and I'm pretty sure my eyes lit up.

"Ah! It's you!"

I rolled off the couch, and before I hit the ground he was there and picking me up and giving me the biggest hug that I had ever received from anyone.

"Uncle Sephiroth!"

**XXXXXX**

_I had managed to clean the blood off of her side and do a hasty stitching of it. I tried to find some cleaner clothes, but there were none. She was probably better off in her own clothes, anyway. When I was cleaning her side, she had started freaking out, so I talked to her to keep her calm. I found a lot of things out that way._

_Her name is Yuffie Kisaragi. She is sixteen - only a year older than me. She's a ninja - in training - and had gotten in Lord Saïx's way while escaping from Sir Lexaeus. In my opinion, she's lucky she got out of Sir Lexaeus' hold, let alone Lord Saïx's. When I told her so, she laughed a bit and told me she was a ninja - that's what they do._

_When she opened her eyes for the second time, it broke my heart. She looked so lost, so broken, so alone. I couldn't help but smile, though, because I wanted to believe that my smile would show her that I was there, that I was with her, that I would help in any way I could._

"_Good morning."_

_She smiled back. It was only the second time I had seen her smile, and I thought it was one of the most pure, beautiful things in the world. This girl would be an asset, I could tell. She would help us, Roxas and I, find what we were looking for. Her smile weakened as she looked at me._

"_Thank…you…"_

_I nodded and ran my hand through her hair. She was crying, and I hoped that it would calm her down, help her sleep. I imagined that she would feel better soon, more up to moving and talking and eating. I hoped that she would._

_Until then, I would take care of her._

**XXXXXX**

**It's not as long as I wanted it to be. But that happens sometimes, doesn't it?**

**I hope you liked this chapter. I'm still not sure how I feel about it.**

**Review, okay?**


	6. Chapter 6

-1**To that anonymous reviewer who gave me that really nice review? Thaaannnkkk youuuuu. I had had a bad day, and when I read it, it made me giggle and feel better. I'm very happy you liked it so much!!**

**And you are very important to me. All of my reviewers are. Thankss everyonee!**

**XXXXXX**

_**Chapter Six**_

By the time I had settled down again, it had started to rain. The drops hitting the roof and the windows seemed to have a calming effect on the four of us, and I started dozing as we ate the food that Zexion had prepared for us. They must have thought that I was asleep - which I wasn't - and started talking about some things that I didn't quite understand. Roxas was mentioned, as were the members of the Organization and Aunt Tifa. The safe house we had been heading toward was talked about, and so were the others in our little group. The whole time I felt them glancing at me, like they were making sure that I was still asleep. Then the conversation took a strange turn.

"When do you think that war will break out?"

"I'm not sure. We can't let it happen yet, though. It's too soon."

"What do you think, Zexy?"

It was quiet for nearly a minute, and even with my eyes closed, I knew that Zexion had his hands folded in front of his mouth, deep in thought.

"I think that we need to get the prisoners out first."

I felt Uncle Sephiroth shift, and I imagined him leaning forward and nodding his head. "Yes. My boys are working on that."

"Your boys?"

"Sons. Loz, Yazoo and Kadaj. They've gone and gotten themselves captured - on purpose. I actually think it was around a year ago."

Axel snapped his fingers. "That's when the escapes started, right?"

"Yes. They're going to help everyone escape, then get out themselves. They were supposed to send the escapees here. I've only ever gotten three, though, and they were in very bad shape. I can only imagine the shape of the ones that I haven't received."

I heard the floor creak, and Zexion's steps headed toward the kitchen. He was in there for a moment, then he came out shuffling some papers.

"Here are some papers. The small house we're headed to is regulated by Shinra and the Turks, here in Midgar. They keep track of everyone that goes through there - names, ages, birthdays, number of stays, duration of stays. They've even got information about where the people came from, why the people decided to go to the safe house. The girls you helped - the Gullwings - went through about a month before we went through last, so that would be-"

"Four months ago!"

"Yes Axel, I know you can do math. The most recent escapee - that we know of - left about two days before we had arrived. She went by the name of Yuffie Kisaragi, and claimed that she was helped by a little girl in white. She said it was an angel, at first, but she eventually gave a name."

It was quiet, and I imagined Zexion nodding at my "sleeping" form. Uncle Sephiroth's hand tightened around mine.

"She helped one of them?"

"Yes. Apparently she's helped many of the ones that go through the safe house. She seems to do it unknowingly, because Yuffie seems to have been the first one that ever gave her any information about where she came from."

"Is that why Roxas isn't with you all?"

Axel sighed. "We're not sure. It could be, but… There are too many factors clouding the truth about Roxas' disappearance. It would take a lot of digging…"

"Digging we don't have time to do. It's why we have her with us. We want her to find her brother, yes. We're more concerned, however, with **why** the Organization wants her brother and _what_ they're planning on doing if or when they get him."

"She said that it's because he's young and impressionable."

"That was the case when he was younger. He's grown now, and she's molded him how she sees fit - which is probably the best way. If that was the only thing the Organization thought, however, they wouldn't still be chasing him."

"What makes you so sure they're chasing Roxas? They could just be chasing something he has, right?"

"Oh, they're chasing him-"

"But they might be chasing Naminé, too. They could want something from both of them. Or maybe they just want something from her, and know that taking Roxas is the best way to get to her. At the moment, though, we're more inclined to believe that they're after Roxas."

"Why would they want her? And, once again, why would they want Roxas?"

Axel huffed angrily. "Listen, we're not sure! We can't give you all of the answers because we hardly have any of them ourselves. It's why we have Naminé with us."

"We're hoping that, by traveling with her, we can get our answers."

"But-"

"We'll take care of her! When we're finished with her, we'll bring her back to you - safe, unharmed. Don't worry."

"Okay…"

I felt Uncle Sephiroth pick me up, and carry me upstairs. He put me in a bed, tucked the covers around me, and closed the door on his way out. When I could no longer hear his footsteps, I pulled myself out of bed.

I went to the closet and dug through it. Seeing a book bag, I grabbed it and shoved some clothes and a cover in it. I would wait until they were asleep to get food and water. Once the bag was mostly packed, I set it down and made my way to the bathroom. There, I brushed my teeth and cleaned myself off as best as I could without making too much noise. Then I walked back into the room I'd been given and changed my clothes.

When I finally settled down on the floor in the room, I began thinking. I still haven't been able to stop. I will have to wait a few hours, but that's okay. Once they are all asleep, I will sneak out. They don't really need me, anyway. They just want to use me for their experiments. No, not experiments…their plans. They just want me to help them carry out their plans. Well, I won't do it. If they don't want to help me, fine. I don't need them. I can take care of myself and find Roxas on my own.

After collecting some food and water, and crudely writing a note that barely explained anything to Uncle Sephiroth, I was back in the room. Using the window was quieter than using the door, so that's what I was doing. I slipped out and shimmied my way down the tree. As soon as my bare feet hit the ground, I took off in the direction of the Secret Place. Hayner, Pence and Olette would be there, and they would help as much as they could. Besides, I'd get my little brother back.

With or without anyone's help.

**XXXXXX**

"_What would you do?"_

_It had been a few days since Yuffie had woken up, and we were on our way to the Secret Place. When she proposed the question, I was baffled at what it meant. The look I must have been giving her caused her to chuckle._

"_If you lost him, silly! What would you do if you lost Roxas?"_

"_Well, I don't know. I'd look for him."_

"_Is that all?"_

_I sighed irritably. "What do you mean, Yuffie?"_

"_Would you **just** look for him? I wouldn't. I'd freak out and look anywhere and everywhere I could. I'd search high and low, near and far, and I wouldn't stop until I did everything in my power to find him. And, if that still didn't work, I'd do more. I'd never give up on anyone I care about. Not ever."_

_I stared at her, wide eyed and speechless. That was…unexpected, in the least. It seemed especially strange coming from the mouth of this seemingly carefree girl. Then something clicked in my mind. I turned to look at her, still slightly wide eyed._

"_Who…who did you…lose?"_

_She smiled such a sad smile and looked at her feet. "Someone very special to me. I lost him a long time ago, and I really want him back."_

"_Oh…but, couldn't he be…yanno…"_

"_Well yeah, he could be. But I don't like to think like that."_

"_So, you still have hope?"_

_She nodded vigorously. "Oh yes! As long as the sun still shines in the sky, the moon still revolves around the Earth, the stars still come out at night and children are still being born and taken care of… As long as I still have friends and people that I can care for, and that will care for me… As long as there are still people out there willing to help - people like **you**…"_

_There will still be hope._

**XXXXXX**

When Zexion and Axel woke up, hours before Sephiroth even began to stir, they were surprised at the note. It explained very little, except that she didn't like being used they way she was and that she was leaving. Zexion cursed under his breath and Axel ripped up the note.

"Mother fucker, this is bad."

"Bad? Axel, this is not just bad. It's so, so much worse."

"Damnit, I knew we should have put her in that room before we started talking about it!"

"What good would it have done, Axel? She obviously wasn't asleep in the first place, so she probably would have snuck down and listened anyway."

"Shit shit shit. Zexion, what are we going to do?"

Zexion, who had been pacing in front of the refrigerator, stopped and looked at Axel with determined eyes. "Go pack a few bags. Clothes, covers and the like. I'll pack the food and water."

"What, why?"

"We're going. Now. Go pack the bags, quickly."

Axel nodded and started walking toward the steps only to be stopped by Zexion.

"Axel, don't wake up Sephiroth. He won't be happy when he finds out."

Axel nodded, yet again, and made his way up the stairs to hastily pack clothes and covers. Zexion started shoving food and bottles of water into a backpack, not caring what went where. They had to get out before Sephiroth woke up, or they would be dead meat. Sephiroth wasn't happy that Roxas wasn't with them, but he dealt with it. If he found out that Naminé had run away…things would not go well.

When Axel came back downstairs with two backpacks, Zexion was already waiting at the door. He had scribbled a note, much neater than Naminé's, but still just as vague. The two boys hurried out the front door and down the street, attracting as little attention as possible. This was no good, none at all. They had to find Naminé. She was in danger.

It was all their faults.

**XXXXXX**

**Okay, so. This one was better. I know that I think that, and I like it, but…eh, it could have been longer and I could have made it better than this. It's still okay, in my eyes, it's just… I could have done something else with this, I know it…**

**Ah well. Review, yo.**


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter Seven**_

I had slept a few yards off the beaten path, behind the bushes. My sleep had not been peaceful; dreams of my Roxas dying at Master Xemnas' hand had plagued my mind. So, when quiet whispers and the sound of a girl reprimanding a small child tore me away from my sleep, I was not angry. I was still, eyes closed and breathing even, listening to the people speak.

A child's voice - a boy - was the first thing that I heard.

"Oh, is she dead?"

I heard footsteps coming toward me, then a gasp as the footsteps stopped abruptly.

"No, don't go near her! She could be one of **them**."

The girl that said that was smart. I could have easily taken the small boy out. An older boy's voice invaded the silence.

"Nah guys, I don't think she is. Look at her clothes - they're rags. 'Sides, she's been awake, listening to us. If she were one of them, she would have attacked us already."

My eyes shot open and I sat straight up. He had known. How had he known?

I turned around and saw a girl with auburn hair. The girl from the line of prisoners! But, how in the world had she escaped…?

I looked to the left when I felt a tug on my sleeve. My eyes met a face that was new, but still so painfully familiar.

"Hi! I'm Sora!"

I just stared at the boy. He reminded me of someone…

"Hey, you're not dead, are you?"

"Of course she's not!"

It was then that it clicked. It was as I had said before; like looking into some sort of warped mirror. Like we were two parts of a puzzle, all fitting together so perfectly. But part of my half of the puzzle was missing, and seeing this boy made me painfully aware of that fact.

I need to find Roxas.

**XXXXXX**

"_So, what's your name?"_

_She smiled adorably at me, the sun glinting off the beads in her hair. I couldn't help but give her a smile of my own in return._

"_I'm Rikku! This is my cousin, Yuna," she said while wrapping her right arm around the brunette's shoulders, "and the silver haired girl is Paine."_

_Paine nodded in acknowledgement and Yuna smiled._

"_We're looking for a few people," Yuna explained, answering my unasked question with a knowing smile._

"_Oh really?"_

_Paine nodded again. "One's tall, and he has blonde hair and blue eyes. His name's Tidus."_

_Rikku nodded excitedly. "Yeah! And he'll probably be with this other tall guy. He has reddish-orange hair and an odd accent. His name's Wakka."_

_Yuna smiled and nodded. "Wakka is __**always**__ with Lulu. She has black hair and she's kind of tall, too. She's also pregnant. Have you run into them?"_

_I shook my head. "No. I'm positive I'd remember a group like that."_

_Yuna smiled sadly. "Oh…well, you mentioned looking for someone?"_

"_Yes, my brother. He's ten, and has blonde hair and blue eyes."_

"_We'll make sure to keep an eye out. If you run across Tidus, Wakka and Lulu…"_

"_I'll tell them you're searching for them."_

_Rikku grinned. "Thank you so much!"_

"_And if you find my brother…"_

"_We'll take care of him until we find you again," Paine said with a small smile._

_I didn't feel like I deserved their help, but they had said they owed me…_

"_So, are you three hungry?"_

**XXXXXX**

"You were a prisoner."

It was not a question. The girl nodded sadly and brought her hand up to her throat while she looked at the boys.

"Yes. I'm Kairi."

"I'm Naminé. Those boys, are you related to them?"

"I'm related to Sora. Zack's just along for the ride."

I nodded. "How did you escape?"

"There were these three boys. I'm not really sure how, but they managed to get us out. They had silver hair, but…their names escape me."

"Loz, Yazoo and Kadaj. They are my cousins."

"Yes! Those were the ones."

It was quiet for a while. We just sat and watched Zack and Sora play wrestle. After about fifteen minutes, Kairi broke the silence.

"Radiant Garden."

"Huh?"

"It's where the three of us are from."

"Where's Radiant Garden?"

"It's known as Hollow Bastion, now. I was the princess there, before Master Xemnas took over…before he killed King Mickey and enslaved Sora and I."

I scooted closer to her and put my arm around her shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she said, leaning into me. "I'm just happy he's okay."

I nodded and went back to watching Sora. He has such bright eyes, and such a sweet smile. In truth, I'm happy he's okay, too. To me, killing him would be almost as bad as losing Roxas.

**XXXXXX**

_The girl was strange. That was putting it nicely. Her hair curled at the ends, her green eyes sparkled with happiness, and within the year and a half that I'd known her, she'd threatened to kill over seven hundred people with the jump rope she always carries wit her. Yes, she was an odd one. But it somehow seemed to work._

"_I swear, if he looks at me like that again, he's going down."_

_I sighed. "Selphie, please. Stop threatening people."_

"_No! I'm __**not**__ in a very good mood, Nam! Where the hell is Irvine?"_

"_How am I supposed to know?"_

"_Twilight Town isn't even that big. How could he have gotten lost?"_

"_I don't know! Because he's Irvine? Selph, I'm tired. Can't I go home? I don't want Roxas to be alone for too long."_

_Selphie sighed irritably. "Fine, whatever. Go home to your baby. I'll find my moron on my own."_

"_Thank you! I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"_

_She smiled and gave me a one-armed hug. "Yeah. See you, Naminé."_

_She walked off in the direction of the Sandlot, and that was the last that I saw of her. She never showed up at the Station the next day. I never saw her around town again. It was like she vanished._

_It was like they were all vanishing._

**XXXXXX**

"We're going the wrong way."

Zexion glared at Axel in a way that clearly stated death.

"Seriously, we are! Naminé's going to that place in Twilight Town, I know she is."

"Shut up, Axel. I know where she's going. We're headed to the Safe House. We're going to need help."

"Who's at the Safe House that could help us?"

Zexion gave Axel a blank stare. "Well, for starters, the rest of our wayward group. We could find out where that Yuffie Kisaragi is - she might want to help Naminé. We might be able to find Tifa, and Reno, if we try hard enough."

"Elena, Tseng and Rude will definitely be will Reno."

"That's exactly what I'm hoping for. We're going to need an army to bring her back."

"You don't think that Xemnas will go after her, do you?"

"I do. I also know that she won't come back without a fight. Which, as I've explained, is why we're headed to the Safe House."

"Oh. You're good, Zexion."

"No. I just use my brain."

A silence fell upon the two boys as they ran. One was thinking about what to say when they got to the Safe House, one was thinking about Naminé and wondering if she was okay.

In the back of his mind and with all of his heart, Zexion hoped they wouldn't be too late.

**XXXXXX**

**Whoo, that took a while. Way too many things for summer. Little sister's fourth birthday party, older brother's birthday party (which also happened to be the Fourth of July party), and soon, my little brother's party, and my party. AND, to add onto it all, I've dropped over half my friends within the past week. WHOO!**

**It's okay, they were shit anyway. I'm also working on getting a friend back, because she realizes that she basically ruined every good thing she had going for her.**

**So, now I'm in a better mood. But ya wanna know what would make me feel even better? A review from you! So go on, push that purpleishblue button. Make me feel loved.**


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter Eight (8)**_

It was quiet in the castle. There were people walking through the halls, but their footsteps didn't make a sound. It seemed that they did it out of respect for their leader, when in reality they were just too terrified. A blue-haired man stood in the main hallway, staring out the window at something housed within the castle walls. He didn't move as a man with an eye patch dropped down behind him.

"Saïx."

Saïx turned his scarred, emotionless face toward the man with the eye patch. His gaze pierced through the man, seemingly seeing into his very soul. If it had been anyone else, they would have already fled the room; fled the country. As it were, this man stood his ground.

"Master Xemnas wishes to speak with you. He wants information."

Saïx nodded. "Of course. Thank you, Xigbar."

Xigbar nodded and watched as Saïx walked toward the main room where the stairs were. When he could no longer hear Saïx's footsteps, he sauntered up to the window and looked out. He cringed as he saw what Saïx had: hundreds of people, men, women and children alike, unknowingly lined up and waiting to be slaughtered. He sighed, almost guilty about what he was going to do. He knew it had to be done, however, so he picked up his gun, opened the window and prepared to jump. Taking one last look at the innocent people he was about to lead to death, he steeled his nerves and hit the button that would call Xaldin and Lexaeus to work. Then he jumped out the window, firing the first shot into the crowd.

**XXXXXX**

Saïx walked up to the large, ornately carved wooden door that lead to the throne room. When he reached it, he calmly knocked and waited for admittance. It was granted swiftly, and he bowed low as he walked into the room.

"Master Xemnas," he addressed the man sitting high in the throne above him. "How may I be of service to you tonight?"

"I need answers to some questions I have."

"Anything, Your Highness."

Xemnas waited for a moment, seemingly gathering his thoughts. Finally he drew in a breath and asked, "You have yet to find the boy, am I correct?"

Saïx's head snapped up so that he was looking Xemnas in the eye. He tried to think of a way to lie himself out of this trap, but he could not, so he gave the truth. "Yes, sir."

"Why, Saïx, do you always fail to bring me what I desire? Why is one little boy so hard to capture?"

"I-it's not as easy as it seems, Lord," he stuttered out. "He is very well-guarded, and often well-hidden by that wretched sister of his. It also seems as though he has many people looking out for him that don't travel with him. Every time we get close to capturing him he slips from our grasp!"

"We have been searching for this boy for nearly seven years now, Saïx. Either he is more powerful than we thought, or you are more incompetent. And I believe I know which is true."

"N-now Master Xemnas, I just need one more chance. And you know that I will bring you great things! I brought you the Kisaragi heiress-"

"Who managed to escape from us!"

"-and the Prince and the Princess! I captured them for you as well!"

"And where are they now, hmm? Are they in the dungeon?"

"No, sir."

"Did you let them get away?"

"Yes…sir…"

"You see, Saïx? You always seem to fail me."

Saïx bowed his head again, unwilling to look Xemnas in the eye. "I promise you sir, I won't let you down this time."

Xemnas glared at the blue-haired man kneeling before him. "This is your last chance," he warned. "Do not fail me again, or **you** will be the one Xigbar slaughters."

Saïx nodded quickly, rising. He knew he was dismissed, and he left chamber without looking as Xemnas. He refused to fail his master again. He refused to be treated like the maggots he collected for fodder. He would bring Xemnas the boy, no matter what it took.

After all, they can always revive him.

**XXXXXX**

"Please, please, please. Gods above, please don't let me die!"

"SHUT UP IN THERE!" a blonde man yelled. "Your sniveling is so pathetic. Your fragility disgusts me. Tch, things as weak as you aren't meant to survive."

The man snarled at the bars to the cage, and the girl inside it cringed. Her screams died down to a whimper, and she scooted even farther into the corner; farther away from the horrible man with the bright blue eyes. She cried out involuntarily when Luxord smiled at her, pressing herself as flat against the bars as she could. She didn't dare breathe until he looked away.

'_Everyone else…they're all gone…why am I the only one left?'_

She looked down and clenched the fabric of her tattered yellow dress in her hands. She had been pretty, once upon a time. Her green eyes used to sparkle like emeralds shining in the sun and her brown hair used to curl up at the ends and bounce with every step she took. Now her green eyes only sparkled with tears and her brown hair was matted with dirt and soot and blood. Selphie Tilmitt had been tortured and beaten and raped and left to die in a little cage. When she didn't, they put a guard in front of it and kept watch on her. Couldn't have another escape, now could they?

Of course, she hadn't been the only one. There had been more - so, so many more! - but they were all gone now. A few had escaped, some had died in the cage, some had been dragged out and beaten to death in front of her, and some had been promised a more swift, painless death. She was didn't watn to think of how they had ended. Up until two days before, there had been two others. They had been twins, in fact. They both had blonde hair and green eyes and voices like bells. Their names were Ayaki and Yuuichi, and they had only been fifteen. She had promised to take care of them. But when Lexaeus had come for them, she knew she couldn't keep her promise. The guilt ate away at her every day and with every nightmare. She wanted to die soon, but Luxord assured her that she would be used for something much more important. She was afraid of what that was.

'_I…I have to get out of here. I do, I have to find Irvine, find Naminé, protect Roxas like I promised her I would! I have to find Yuffie and warn her, warn her that they're searching and warn Seifer and warn Hayner and Pence and Olette and everybody that they're coming! I just have to get out…I have to, before I go insane…'_

She crawled up to the edge of the cage and gripped the bars. She didn't have the courage to flat out ask the man to give her the keys, she wasn't as brave as Toshiko had been before they took him, but she had an idea of what to do. She may have had her will to live sucked out of her, but she still knew that she could use her body to get what she wanted. She sucked in a shaky breath and called out to the man guarding her lonely cage.

"Sir Luxord?"

Luxord turned to her, eyes gleaming. "What do you want?"

She smiled on the inside, knowing this was going to be easier than it should have been. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"What happened to Ayaki and Yuuichi?"

"Slaughtered just this morning. What did you think?"

Selphie gasped, tears welling in her eyes. She had known the answer, but it didn't hurt any less hearing it out loud. She put her hand over her mouth and choked back a sob. In the back of her mind she knew that this would get Luxord to open the door and "comfort" her. She almost gagged at how it made her feel, knowing that he would be inside her again. She was able to mask it, not just because of the tears, but because she knew she would soon be out of the cage and searching for her friends.

As the keys to the cage jingled and the door creaked open Selphie squeezed her eyes shut tight. She didn't open her eyes as Luxord sidled up to her, or wrapped his arms around her, or even when he laid her on the floor. She wouldn't allow him the sick satisfaction of seeing the pain in her eyes. As he crawled on top of her she swallowed the bile rising in her throat and tried to block out reality.

When it was over and done with, and he was asleep on the floor of the cage, she crawled back into her dress and picked up Luxord's baton. She calmly made her way over to him and snitched the keys from his pocket, then she made her way to the door and closed it quickly so that the creak wouldn't wake him. When it was closed, she locked it and thanked whatever gods were up there that had heard her cries, granted her wishes. She wouldn't die tonight! She would live a little longer, find Naminé, and bring everyone home. She cast one last look at Luxord, bent over, and threw up.

She comforted herself with the fact that her friends would never know just what she sacrificed for them.

**XXXXXX**

"What if we've got it all wrong?"

Those were the words he'd woken up to. Riku stayed still, listening to Demyx and Larxene talk. At first he believed that they were having an argument over something stupid, but he soon learned otherwise.

"We don't have it wrong, Demyx! I know we don't. They're just resting somewhere, that's all."

"But it's been three days! What if-"

"Demyx, shush! You're going to wake Riku if you keep it up. We can't have him worrying, you know that."

"I know, but what if something happened to them? What if Axel got hurt, or one of the Holy Men took Naminé, or Zexion's old wounds caught up to him? What then?"

"You know they're smarter than that, Dem. Look, you're worried, I get that. But you need to have more faith in them!"

"But what if they went to sleep and just didn't wake up and someone grabbed them or hurt them or killed them? I mean, look at Riku! He's been sleeping for three days straight. And we've been here for a week and they still haven't come back…"

"You just have to trust them Demyx, and believe that they can take care of themselves. We'll wait a few more days. We have to."

He heard Demyx let out a defeated sigh and shuffle away. He waited until he heard Larxene run after him, muttering his name, before he sat up. So he'd been asleep for three days, huh? He groaned as he moved, feeling like he'd been beaten with a ton of bricks. Looking around, he saw that they were in their usual room. Marluxia's books were sitting on the ground, Demyx's and Larxene's bags were sitting on the bed. He was beginning to wonder where Marluxia had gotten off to when someone walked in and let out a gasp.

"Oh, you're awake!!"

He leaned back and looked up into big brown-violet eyes. "Um, yes…"

"Thank goodness! We were afraid that you were a goner. I mean, with the way you just sort of starting puking up blood, then fell over into it, we thought you would never get better. But, here you are and you're awake and you ARE better, so I guess we could have worried a little less. I mean, if you're better now, you would've gotten better anyway, right? So that means that we didn't have to do all the things we did to make sure you would get better, and-"

"Who **are** you?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm the Great Ninja Yuffie Kisagragi! And you're Riku Anatari, right? I'm right, because I'm a genius! No, no, Demyx just told me you're name. You seem pretty awesome, if not a big quiet. You don't like to talk much, do you? That's okay, because I'll talk enough for the both of us. I just know we're gonna be great friends, don't you? Now c'mon! The boss is worried, and she wants to know that you're okay so get a move on, mister lazy bum!"

He blinked as the hyperactive "great ninja" grabbed his arm and yanked him up off the floor. He let her drag him out of the room, down the hall way, and into another room that was bigger than all the rest. Confused, he looked around and decided that this was where the "boss" kept residence. There were pictures hanging on the wall of every run-away or prison-escapee that had ever gone through the Safe House. Looking up, he was surprised to see a woman with long brown hair and a strange, almost skimpy outfit staring at him. She resembled a girl in the picture hanging right above the woman's chair, and he could only guess that they were related in some way. He looked to Yuffie and saw that her smile had grown impossibly large.

"MISS BOSS LADY!!"

"Yuffie, please. Don't be so loud, you'll wake all the guests. Go to the kitchen and get Mister Anatari something to eat. But something small, you don't want to upset his stomach. And don't forget his drink, you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Yuffie chirped. "I'll be back in a jiffy!"

The woman nodded and watched Yuffie skip to the door. When the door closed, she looked at Riku and motioned to a cushion. "Sit, make yourself comfortable. I know that you've come through here many times," she stated, motioning to a picture of him and his "family" from four years ago, the first time they came through. "Have you ever wondered why this place is so successful? It's not just because it's underground, you know."

Riku nodded, not wanting to verbally interrupt this captivating woman. Every move she made was graceful, almost like she was dancing, and her voice was like music. He was enthralled, and wondered how such a beautiful woman could end up running a hide-out for dirty, bloody, homeless people. He wondered how she could care for so many, because there must have been hundreds of pictures hanging on her walls, many of them featuring more than one person.

"I run this pace, Riku. My name is Lenne Amicita, and I am the reason that all of the people you see pictured here have lived. The ones that did not…well, their pictures are in another room, their memories reserved for another day. I was almost afraid that I would have to move your picture into that room as well."

Riku nodded, wanting her to continue. He wanted to be able to listen to her voice for as long as possible. Seeing his nod, she went on. "Can you tell me something, Riku? Can you tell me where Zexion and Axel have gotten off to? I know I didn't see them arrive with you."

He gulped, but nodded and answered her question. "They stayed back to help a friend. From what I've gathered that was about a week ago."

Lenne nodded. "Of course. Those two were always very nice…well, Zexion was. Axel seems rather brash. Now, I've heard from Larxene, Demyx, Marluxia and Zexion, and I know how they all came to be where they are now. What about you and Axel, hm? You don't have to tell me, of course, but it does help to know. That way I can get you help if you need it, or find any relatives that may still be-"

"Axel and I are the only ones left in our family," Riku cut in. "Well, the only ones who care about each other, anyway."

Lenne looked at him in a confused manner, but nodded. "Please, let me know. I may be able to help you…"

Just then Yuffie burst in! "MISS BOSS LADY!!"

"Yuffie, please! I'm not going to remind you again."

Yuffie smiled sheepishly and put a bowl of soup and a glass of water down in front of Riku. She then walked to the door, closed it, and sat down on the cushion next to it. When Lenne gave her The Look, the one that said she was being intrusive, she smiled up at her. "Sorry Boss. Rules are rules and Shuyin told me to keep guard while he's away, make sure no one gets in here that's not supposed to, blah blah blah. So I'm stuck, as you can see. I dare not disobey his orders."

Lenne rolled her eyes at Yuffie but nodded. "Yes, fine. Anyway," she said, turning back to Riku, "please tell me more."

He nodded, entranced by her voice. "Well I was sick when I was little. I don't know what I had, but Axel said everyone thought it was contagious. He was the only one my age that would play with me. In fact, he was the only one that would even look at me. He said my mother hated that she had ever given birth to such a 'useless child.' I don't know if she really did, but I trust Axel…"

"That's horrible!" Yuffie cried. "How could a mother say that about her child? A baby is a gift that should be cherished and taken care of, not ignored!"

Riku sighed, but ignored her interruption. "Anyway, Axel said that since he played with me, they alienated him, too. And…when I was five or six, I think, Mom just decided she was done with us. So Axel said she grabbed him, picked me up, and told him that we were taking a walk. And then she just sort of…dropped us in the woods and left. And we met the others when Sir Lexaeus found us wandering and dropped us in an orphanage."

"That is…"

"Wrong! How could your Mom do that!?" Yuffie cried. "I mean, you're better than that, you know? I bet if she could see you now she'd regret ever leaving you in the woods to die! I swear, if I ever meet her I'll teach her a lesson for hurting such great people! I'd never do that to you, never, and I-"

"I think he understands, Yuffie. And that is rather awful, but I can't say I'm not happy…after all, **we** have you now. We have you, and we know you have the power to help us change the world."

Riku opened his mouth to ask what she meant, but he never got the chance. There was a commotion in the hall, and then Demyx busted into the room in tears and with a terrified light in his eyes that Riku had never seen before. Yuffie jumped up from her pillow, Lenne stood from her chair, and Riku twisted his body even further to see his friend.

Looking directly at Riku, Demyx cried out, "NAMI'S GONE!"

And Riku's whole heart fell, piece by jagged piece.

**XXXXXX**

**Okay, so. This is way longer, because…I wanted it to be? Hah! I think it's great! I know it took me a while, but I couldn't help it! First it refused to be written, then when it finally let me write it, it was snippy and didn't like the way it was going. And yes, I am referring to it like it has a brain. Anyways, different POV, different characters, different blah blah blah.**

**Did you like it? Did you hate it? Tell me so in a review, kay?**

**--Miss Rissa.**


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter Nine**_

"Where are we headed, anyway?"

"Twilight Town."

"Do they have ice cream there!?"

"Sora, what kind of question is that?"

I smiled, feeling some sort of strange connection to the three escapees. I watched as Kairi bickered with her little brother, fussing with his clothes and trying to straighten his hair, despite the fact that they were currently on the run from the man that ruled the country. I understood, though, that it was the way Kairi had been raised, and that old habits die hard. I couldn't help but see myself in Kairi's place, messing with Roxas' hair and rearranging his clothes. I shook my head when Zack's voice cut through my thoughts.

"Where are we going in Twilight Town?"

"I'm sorry?" I questioned politely. Yes, I may have been poor, but my parents had raised me to act like a proper lady.

Zack laughed. "You don't have to be so polite all the time. Anyway, I was just wondering where we'll be staying in Twilight Town."

I bit my lip, wondering if I should tell him. Yes, they are on the run, just as I am. That surely doesn't mean I can trust any of them, though. Not only did I realize that, but I also knew that we were getting closer to Twilight Town with each step we took, and that I would have to tell them something sooner or later. After a long moment of deliberation, I decided on an answer.

"I know this place. I used to go there a lot. Unfortunately, I haven't visited the place for a while. It's not really…_my_ place, though. It belongs to some friends. I'm not really sure if it'll be okay for us to stay there until I talk to them."

He nodded, seemingly understanding my apprehension. He wasn't upset that I hadn't given him a straight answer, which somewhat calmed my nerves. Now I just had to figure out how to ask Hayner, Pence and Olette if I could share our Secret Place with newcomers.

**XXXXXX**

When we arrived in Twilight Town, it was quieter than usual. That really should have tipped me off, alerted me to the fact that something wasn't right. It didn't, and I continued to lead my new companions through the twisted alleys and suspiciously empty streets of my second home. As we made our way through the alleys I knew so well, I passed two people that looked vaguely familiar. When we made it to the entrance of the tunnels, I found Twilight Town's own personal "conductor," and my adopted big brother, Seifer Almasy.

I probably wouldn't have realized it was him if I hadn't caught sight of his mako-enhanced eyes. I knew the reason Seifer was down in the darkness - he was waiting for me because I had told him I'd come back. He ran the town's "invisible train," making sure people like Roxas and I made it from place to place with relative ease. He knew the tunnels, alleys, and secret passages the way he knew his old home - he could navigate them with his eyes closed.

My face brightened when I saw him. He was my hope, my salvation, because he cared about Roxas the way I did. And I knew, as he pulled me into his arms, that he would help me find my baby. No matter what the cost.

**XXXXXX**

"What took you so long, Brat?"

I smiled. The thing about Seifer was that he was a bit abrasive. He loved me, and I knew he did, but he had a funny way of showing it. Zack, Kairi, and Sora would get used to it eventually. They would have to.

"I just got a little lost," I answered timidly.

"Really now?"

"Mhmm."

He gave me a look that I knew meant he wanted to know what was going on, but I smiled a little more and shook my head. Seifer would have to be patient, because I wasn't entirely prepared to talk about it again. He led us through the dark tunnel, and that was when I realized something was off with him.

"Hey, were are Fuu, Rai and Vivi?"

He faltered mid-step, but made it look like he tripped in the darkness. I didn't buy it. "They're…out. Helping others and…stuff…"

"Uh-huh," I muttered, and I didn't believe him. But I knew he wouldn't tell me, so I kept quiet. Instead, I turned around and looked at the trio of people behind us.

"Welcome to Twilight Town! How do you like it?"

"It's cool," Zack stated.

"It's…different. But a good different. Kind of homey," Kairi whispered, almost to herself.

"It's quiet," Sora said. Seifer did falter at this. In fact, he stopped completely and slowly turned around to face us. For a moment I thought he might hit Sora, but something I saw in his eyes told me he wouldn't.

"Yeah. It's just us here…"

My eyes filled with sadness as I looked up at him. "What's happening, Big Brother? Where is everyone? Who's left!?"

"Me, Nanami and Corim. And now you four."

"But where did everyone go?"

"I don't know. And I don't know about Fuu, Rai or Vivi. I just woke up one day last week and they were gone."

"But why!? What's happening? Tell me, now!"

"I don't think…"

"I'm old enough, Seifer, so don't even try it! I know something bad is happening, so tell me what it is!"

"…can it wait? I want to get to the Usual Spot first."

"Fine," I said, huffing and crossing my arms. "But you'd better tell us when we get there. We deserve to know."

He nodded, turned around, and continued walking through the tunnel. We trailed behind him, and I couldn't help but wonder what the hell was happening to my home.

**XXXXXX**

I was most at home when I was in the Usual Spot. It wasn't the same without him though. It never would be again. When we entered I was surprised to see the two most elusive people in Twilight Town. The man was standing in the corner, his eyes glowing. His blue skin was scaly, which I realize now is probably why he hid in the shadows most of his life. He smiles a wicked smile when his eyes landed on me.

The girl was sitting, cross-legged and eyes closed, in the middle of the floor. Her navy blue hair was cascading in waves down her back and onto the floor. When we took our seats - Kairi, Sora, Zack and I on the couch, Seifer on an upturned crate - she turned around, opened her bright purple eyes, and gave me a calculating stare. When she finished assessing me she smiled and turned to Seifer.

"Tell us why we're here, boy," she said, voice like bells.

"I will. Just wait a little longer."

"We've been waiting for three dayssss now," the man in the corner spoke up. His snake-like voice made me cringe.

"That's right. We've been waiting long enough. I have things to do-"

"Things they can help you with," Seifer interrupted, nodding in our direction.

"What are you getting at?" Zack questioned, eyes narrowed at my big brother.

Seifer stood and made his way toward the couch. When he arrived, he kneed down in front of me.

"Naminé, you know these people. You may not realize it, but you do. You've seen Nanami out of the corner of your eye since you were around eight, and Corim has been keeping an eye on you since you were born. And they need you now, Nami," he said quietly, taking my hand. "They need your help."

"Just…tell us what's happening, Seifer. Why is everyone gone?"

He sighed sadly, not looking at me. "Something's happening. It's something big. We're the only ones here because we knew this is where you'd show up eventually. We helped everyone else escape, everyone that we could. But I don't know what happened to Fuu, Rai or Vivi. I lost them somewhere! I couldn't find them, it was chaos, I could only pray that they didn't get caught! It was just so horrible, there was so much carnage…"

"Seifer," I said, putting my hand on his cheek. It was just the two of us now, lost in our own little world. "What happened?"

"You remember that day Selphie didn't come back?"

I nodded, not ready for what I was about to hear.

"Well, that's when it started. It wasn't bad at first. Just a few people here and there. But a few months after that…"

**XXXXXX**

_All hell broke loose. That was the only way he could describe it, and it wasn't enough. It was as if Satan himself had descended on the town, bringing all his wrath and hatred with him. In reality, it was just the men that ruled the world._

"_SEIFER!"_

_He heard her melodic voice before he saw her stunning face, and hardly jumped when bright purple eyes showed up in front of him._

"_Siefer! What are you doing!?"_

_He ignored the girl, scanning the area. He had made sure to save everyone he could, but so many people were still dying at the hands of these wretched men. He ignored her hand on his shoulder, the way she yelled his name. He just had to find them - now._

"_Seifer, we have to go!" Nanami screeched over the sound of the crackling fire. "What are you waiting for?"_

"_Go without me!" he yelled, waving her away. There - right there. He could see the brownish colour of the boy's hat. If he could just reach it…_

"_They're not here, Seifer!" Nanami cried, picking him up around the waist. "They've been gone for days! We're the only ones here besides the bodies! We have to go - before they find us!"_

"_NO! Not without them! Not without-" He was cut off as the air was pushed from his lungs, he and Nanami hitting the ground. He saw the brown hat move, though. It had to be him. "VIVI!!! Vivi, stay still!"_

_The thing looked at him just as a bomb exploded, shrapnel embedding into it. Even as he screamed and Nanami dragged him away, he knew he had been wrong. It was just a heartless. She was right - it was just them. Just them, and monsters, and bodies of the people he couldn't save._

_He needed to find his family._

**XXXXXX**

"…So everyone's either dead…or…lost."

I looked into his eyes and saw that he was telling the truth. And now I understood why he only led us through the darkness to get here, to the Usual Spot. The place I had come to think of as my home had been destroyed, the people gone forever. It didn't take me long to realize that soon, everywhere I had ever gone would fall to the Holy Men.

"Sssseifer," Corim hissed out, drawing our attention back to the real world and to him.

"We've waited long enough," Nanami said again. "I'm tired, Seifer. I'm tired of her not being here with me. Get to your point before I just decide to leave."

Seifer turned back to me as he stood up. "We need your help, Nami. Well - no. _They_ need your help. Mostly Nanami. She's lost someone, just like you. Her little sister. Her name's Neveah and she's around your age. She-"

"She's too trusting. I have a feeling she went off with those horrible men because they promised to bring her back to me. I swear, if they have her I _will_ kill them. They won't get away."

She turned to me, eyes alight with tears. "Her hair is curly electric blue. Her eyes are bright green. Please look for her, please. I know she'll go with you if she gets the chance. I know I can trust you to care for her until we meet again."

I nodded, not sure what else to do. She smiled sadly and went to give me a hug when the room shook wildly and a hand shot out, grabbing her by the hair. She screamed in pain as I looked behind her and saw gleaming yellow eyes.

Lord Saïx was back.

Screaming, I dove toward Sora, Kairi and Zack on the couch. Grabbing Sora, I carried him away as Zack ran by with Kairi in his arms. I looked back just in time to miss the terrified look in Kairi's eyes, but in time to see something just as bad. I saw Nanami fall to the ground because Corim cut her hair off to free her. Corim then disappeared into the shadows, Nanami disappeared into the floor, and Seifer slipped out of a secret tunnel, yelling at us to split up.

"No! I can't leave Sora!" Kairi cried, punching Zack's arms.

Zack and I locked gazes. "The path?" he asked quietly.

"The path," I confirmed, cringing as the Usual Spot caved in and went up in flames.

"No! Sora, NO!!" Kairi screamed, even as Zack ran farther away from us.

I could still hear Kairi's cries as I ran in the opposite direction, clutching a sobbing Sora to my chest. As her screams died down I made a promise. I wouldn't let Sora get hurt.

I'd die first.

**XXXXXX**

When he opened his eyes, he was surprised to see the sky. It was the first time he'd seen it in…probably months. It was usually covered by smoke because of what the Holy Men did. He went to roll over but couldn't, and almost screamed. He stopped himself, though, when he heard humming. His sister had always told him to keep quiet and be aware, because it might save his life. This was probably one of those times.

"_Somewhere I'm there, but right now I'm not…"_

Well, if what his sister had taught him was correct, that sentence didn't make any sense at all. By how soft the voice was, he assumed it was a girl. Why wouldn't he be able to move, though?

"_Don't forget me… Don't let me die…"_

He gasped at those words and the girl was next to him immediately, holding something in her hands. It was his first mistake of the day: Never let the enemy know you're awake. He winced as the girl brought something toward his face, afraid she was going to strike him. Instead she lifted his head up and brought something to his lips.

"Drink up, little one," she whispered sweetly. "It will heal you."

He did as he was told, surprised by how _delicious_ whatever she was feeding him tasted. When he was finished gulping it down, she laid his head back down and smiled at him, her green eyes crinkling at the edges. "Hey there, sweetie. How are you feeling?"

"Um," he choked out, lifting his head again. "Well…bad."

The girl giggled again, reminding him of his sister. "I'm trying to make you feel better, honey. Don't you worry about a thing. I'm very good at creating potions from scratch, so you'll be better in no time!"

He groaned quietly. "Why…can't I move?"

"Huh? Oh! Sorry, I had to tie you down. You were flailing a lot, you know."

"I feel like I was hit with a ton of bricks."

"Actually, kiddo…you sort of fell off a cliff."

"I…I what?"

At that moment the trees around the pair startling rustling loudly, and he could have sworn he heard growls coming from the bushes. Never in his life had he wanted his sister to hold him more than he did right then.

Roxas was sure he'd never been more scared in his life.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Chapter 10**_

Roxas didn't think twice. He grabbed the knife out of his pocket and pushed the blonde girl down, crouching over her. Naminé had taught him what to do in situations like this and he wasn't about to let those lessons go to waste. However he wasn't expecting what happened next.

"He's a hostile!" a female voice called from the bushes. The voice sounded rough and angry.

"Take him down quickly!" someone else called in the voice that had been singing.

Suddenly he was on the ground, tied up and writhing in pain.

"No, wait!" the green-eyed girl cried. "He was trying to protect me! Please don't hurt him Paine!"

He heard a scuffle then opened his eyes and looked straight into blue and green eyes. "I-I-" he stuttered out, trying to explain himself.

The eyes moved back. "Stop fighting, girls!" the singer called. "He's a friend."

The scuffle stopped as singer-girl stooped down and began untying him.

"How do you know?" Paine asked, poking him suspiciously with the toe of her boot.

"Well look at him; can't you see the resemblance? He's Roxas, isn't he Rikku?"

Green eyes leaned over him, smiling excitedly. "Oh yeah, totally! I knew there was a reason I saved him, Yunie!"

"Be careful Yuna," Paine warned quietly, watching Roxas like a hawk.

Finally getting the chance to speak. Roxas cleared his throat. "How do you know my name?"

"Don't worry," Yuna reassured him with a smile, pulling the last rope from him. "We're going to take you to Naminé.

**XXXXXX**

The whole group was sitting at a table in the Safe House, with Lenne at the head of the table and Yuffie sitting rigidly at the other end. It was quiet, three hours, forty-five minutes, and seven seconds after Demyx's outburst. Finally, Lenne looked up. That's when it started.

"You lost Naminé," Marluxia stated.

"Well," Axel started uneasily, "define 'lost.'"

"Gone! Not here! Away from where she should be! Someplace we don't know about!"

"We know where she is, we just can't get to her! So it's more like…misplaced…"

"Yeah, because that's **so** much better."

"It's not like we're happy about it," Zexion snapped, the most he had said since they'd arrived. "But we came back for a reason. We need to find-"

"You can't let him get her," Yuffie said quietly.

All heads turned to her. She was sitting in a big chair (_'Shuyin's chair,'_ Lenne thought), her head down and her hands on the table, clenched into fists.

"You can't let him get her," she repeated. "If he does, he'll…I promised her I wouldn't let her-" she broke off, body shaking with sobs. "I-if he finds her before I do…y-you'll regret i-it," she choked out with a hiccup. "Because I p-promised her that she'd be-be taken care o-of. And if he fi- …finds her before I do, he'll p-pay. A-an-d so wi-ill you." She glared at Axel and Zexion through tear-filled brown-violet eyes, stood up, and stormed out of the room.

Lenned watched the young princess go, a sad look in her eyes. "Don't mind her," she whispered. "She didn't mean it. She's just a little upset…"

There were murmurs around the table, whether in agreement or not, and eventually everyone calmed down. Zexion spoke again.

"We feel bad for letting her run away," he stated, not taking his eyes off his hands, which were in his lap. "But we really did come here for a reason other than to upset you. "We…all of us want to find her, keep her safe. But we can't do it alone. We're going to need help. I was hoping Tifa would be here, but…"

"She's due back in a few days' time, as are Reno and the Turks."

"So could you guys, like, stop hating us for a few days?" Axel asked, cutting off what Zexion was about to say. "Because we hate ourselves enough as it is."

Zexion nodded in agreement. "So if we get their help, we should be able to find Naminé and bring her back to safety…"

Lenne nodded, pleased with Zexion. "That's a good plan, Zexion. We'll get to it later, okay? Right now, you and Axel should rest."

"N-no," Zexion said, looking into Lenne's eyes. "Not until we find her."

Never before had Lenne seen such determination. _'She's a lucky girl,'_ she thought, leaning back in her chair. _'How I hope she's safe.'_

**XXXXXX**

Yuffie threw herself into her room, choking back sobs. First **him**…now Naminé. Everyone she loved always got hurt. She refused to let it happen again. She dropped onto her bed, sobbing as she finally let repressed memories flood her senses. _'I just w-wish it didn't hurt so mu-ch.'_

_His cobalt blue eyes crinkled in a laugh. "You never showed me that before," he stated as he watched her cartwheel around the field._

"_I didn't think you'd wanna see it!" she exclaimed, coming to a stop and landing on her butt in front of him. "You're always so serious, I didn't think you'd like it."_

_He shook his brown hair out of his face. "Nah, it's cool. I couldn't do cartwheels if I tried," he said, directing a small smile at his ninja princess._

_She scoffed, standing and putting her hands on her hips. "You could so! Get up and do it, mister!"_

_With another laugh he stood up and attempted a cartwheel - and failed miserably. He shook his head at her joyous giggles as they both took their seats again._

"_I have a question," he began as he lied down, putting his head in her lap. "Why do you keep coming back to me?"_

"_Because," she started uncertainly, tracing the scar on his face (that he refused to explain to her), "when I'm with you I feel…-whole. Like I'm home. And…-safe. Like nothing can touch me. That's why I stay with you."_

"_No other reasons?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow._

"_Not really, no."_

_But there was another reason she didn't want to say right then. Unfortunately, he disappeared the next day and she never saw him again._

_She swore to herself she'd say she loved him once she found him._

Her crying had slowed and quieted, the odd sob wracking her body. She smiled at the next memory, how familiar it felt.

"_Hey Naminé, why do you keep me around?"_

_The girl stopped and stared at her, berry half-way to her mouth. "Well," she began, lowering her hand. "When I'm with you, I'm - well I'm home, like I am with Roxas. And I feel safe with you. Not untouchable, but - close. As close as I can be."_

_Yuffie smiled at Naminé, ruffling her hair. "I promise Nami, you are. I'll take care of you."_

That was it for her. Yuffie jumped up off her bed, silent tears still streaking her cheeks. She had made a promise to Naminé - a promise she would die just to keep. She threw a backpack onto her bed and began loading it up; one change of clothes, shuriken, kunai, water and a little bit of food. She left a note for Lucrecia, explaining where she went and not to follow. Then she turned off the light and closed the door on yet another chapter of her life.

**XXXXXX**

"Sora, Sora, Sora," Kairi chanted, clingint to Zack and crying as silently as she could. "Oh Gods, Sora, my Sora."

Zack sighed and hugged her closer, scooting them further into the abandoned house. He hadn't been able to make it to the path, but he'd made it far enough to be safe; as safe as they could be in this situation. He felt for Kairi, he really did. He knew what it was like to lose a brother. Hugging her as close as he could and rocking her gently, he let himself remember - for the first and last time.

"_Angeal! Angeal, where are you! Please, please -"_

"_Zack! He's near the river!"_

_He locked eyes with Cissnei and knew, instantly, that he would be too late. He still went, though, sprinted until he collapsed beside his best friend._

"_Angeal…"_

"_I-I know," the man answered, raising his hand. Zack took it and understood; his brother knew he was dying - was ready to let go._

"_J-just promise me one thing," he choked out, blood running from the corners of his mouth._

"_Anything Angeal. Anything for you."_

"_Promise to f-follow your dreams, Zack, an-d never…n-n-never give up ho-pe," Angeal said, choking on the blood pooling in his throat._

"_I promise Angeal, I-" he cut himself off as he put his head on Angeal's chest, listening to the dying SOLDIER's heartbeat. "Please don't lave Angeal! Please…I-I…Angeal," he whined as his brother's heart stopped beating. He let out an anguished cry and let Cissnei pull him up, cradle his body to hers, and kiss his tears away._

'_Angeal…Angeal…'_

"…I still need you," he whispered out, hoping Angeal could hear him.

**XXXXXX**

Sephiroth jerked his head up and looked at the door as it crashed in. He dropped his newspaper and stood from the couch, confronting the red-eyed woman that was standing, livid, on his coffee table.

He smirked, shaking his head. He had his suspicions of why she was there. Before he could voice them she had grabbed him by his shirt collar, pulling him off the ground and up to her eye level.

"_Where. Is. She,"_ the woman snarled out, her face as close to his as possible without them touching.

"I don't know who you're talking about," the silver-haired man said, letting his head fall to the side.

"**Bullshit!**" she spit out, shaking him violently. "You know _damn well_ who I'm talking about, Strife!"

Sephiroth took in the messy woman, her blood and dirt smeared face and the tears and in her eyes, and smirked again. He would play with her a little longer.

"Tell me!" she screamed, shaking him as hard as she could.

Sephiroth finally gave in. "I don't know, Lockhart. They were here with her for a few hours, left in the middle of the night. She ran away and they followed her. I've no idea where they are now, or where she could've gone."

He watched sadly as she let him fall, as something in her eyes died.

"First them, now the kids…they're all gone…all left," she mumbled, stepping off the coffee table and sitting on the couch. "She's so much like my sister, probably out getting herself hurt…"

Sephiroth pulled himself up on the couch, sitting next to her, and was about to console her when a red-haired man burst in.

"Tifa!"

She jumped, looking toward him.

"Someone said they saw her! C'mon, we've gotta move or we'll lose her!"

Tifa didn't waste any time jumping from the couch and Sephiroth grabbed her arm.

"You have to stay here, Sephiroth," she said, pulling away. "Wait here for your boys. When they come home, you come find us."

"But I can help," he started, standing up yet again.

Tifa shook her head. "I know, but I need you to stay. I can't lose you, too," she whispered, pulling him into a hug and being contradicting her earlier rage.

Sephiroth hugged her back and let her go with the red-haired man. He would wait because she needed him to.

He just hoped it would be enough.

**XXXXXX**

**Yeaaah, so it's shorter buuut…progressing! And nicely, if I do say so myself. Tifa's officially been introduced - hurrah! And Reno too - indirectly. Aaaand Roxas and the Gullwings! Learn more about some people's pasts, blah blah blah. Overall, I'm very happy with this chapter - despite it's length.**

**Review? Please?**


	11. Chapter 11

**Okay, here's some stuff to tell the reviewers!**

**KHwhitelion: I've always like LeonxYuffie too! It's why I put it in there - and it just seemed to fit. And it seems that a lot of people are too lazy to log in these days, yanno?**

**darkmistress: Tchaa, Tifa owns. And I don't see Sephiroth as completely emotionless. He loves his family - or what he has left of it - and would do anything for them. Anything. And he thinks of Tifa as family too, for reasons that will be revealed later. AND THE GULLWINGS PWN! -skips around- Glad you liked it so much.**

**Tangerine: The past and present are supposed to be hard to distinguish at this point; it's part of the story. It shows that everyone is kind of meshing it together. You understand? Sorry if it's confusing. And hell will break lose soon - I promise!**

**To the other reviewers: I LOVE YOU ALL!**

**XXXXXX**

_**Chapter Eleven**_

Sora had heard a lot of strange words in his short ten years of life. He saw a _badgermole_ up close and personal on a trip with his sister when he was five and she was eleven; he finally learned what a _moogle_ was when he was seven and was positively starstruck by how many different types there were; he'd even learned, at the age of nine, that a _chu_ is not just the sound a kiss makes but the name used on a far away island for several different animals of the same species that the islanders swear you can harvest jelly from. Never in his life, though, had he heard the word _fucknut_, nor did he think he would ever know what it was.

He winced as the blonde girl popped her hands over his ears, preventing him from hearing the rest of what the old blonde man had to say. He tried to read his lips but could only manage to pick up two words before said man stopped talking. He tuned in as Naminé pulled her hands from his ears to hear her yelling at the man to _please_ watch what he says because Sora doesn't need to hear words like that, okay?

"Damn girl, you're cutting out over half of my vocabulary!"

"So? Sora's only _ten_, he shouldn't be exposed to it."

"Whatever, whatever, you're lucky I like you," the man said, making his way to the back door and motioning for them to follow. "Shera! Get the couch ready, we have company!"

Sora heard a woman yell an affirmative before the door closed behind Cid with an audible _click_. His stand-in sister took his hand, and as she lead him toward the house he absolutely had to ask the question that was burning his tongue.

"Hey Naminé, what's a _dumpster slut_?"

He watched impassively as the girl squawked and ran through the blue door that practically screamed "Welcome," waiting for her yells to die down before following her route inside.

**XXXXXX**

The three silver-haired boys stared out from the barred window at their new guard. They had been staring since she'd arrived two days ago with a nervous twitch and an awkward smile directed their way. She was just so _different_ and it wasn't because she lacked the usual robes the Organization wore. No, there was more to it than that; her electric blue hair was blinding, her nearly acidic green eyes were too trusting, and the way she kept throwing sneaky glances toward their prison room just served to make her stick out. The young girl didn't belong and everyone was painfully aware of that.

"So…you guys are brothers? I could've figured that out on my own, but Xigbar told me anyway."

The three still stared, the one with the cat eyes shifting to put his right leg under him. The girl let out a high-pitched giggle and twitched a bit, stepping back to get a better look at the triplets.

"Xigbar's pretty cool, you know. He feels bad about what he's done but they're the boss's orders. The only thing he didn't tell me were your names! Um, mine's Neveah."

The boys sat there for a while before cat-eyes nodded and long-hair stood up.

"I'm Yazoo," long-hair said, voice horribly loud to his own ears. "These are my brothers, Kadaj and Loz."

Neveah smiled, all pearly whites. "Nice to meet you! So what did you guys do anyway? To be put in such a high-security place, I mean."

Cat-eyes - Kadaj - leaned forward a bit, eyes almost glowing. "We've been busting prisoners out," he whispered, obviously proud of their work.

"Busting prisoners out? Why on Earth would you do that?"

The triplets looked at each other and then refocused on Neveah. She was wringing her fingers together.

"Do you not realize what they do to the prisoners here?" Kadaj asked incredulously.

Neveah was trembling by now, worrying her lower lip. "You're lying! They don't - I mean, they wouldn't…"

"Xigbar neglected to tell you, didn't he?" Yazoo mumbled out, pulling away from the bars. He stared the small girl down, making her even more uncomfortable.

"They kill us," Loz choked out, his first words since they'd been put in that wretched room.

Neveah shook her head in disbelief. "No! They - he wouldn't. Xigbar wouldn't do things like that!"

"He does, though," Yazoo said, voice soothing. "It's why he told you he feels bad about what he's done."

Kadaj nodded in agreement. "He doesn't _want_ to kill people, but if he goes against orders he'll be killed by Xemnas," the boy said, spitting out the name like it was poison.

"No," Neveah whimpered, "it's not true, it's not."

"Look, we're sorry. But Xigbar's the only decent member of the Organization. And even then, he's still done some pretty bad things," Yazoo explained, not wanting to upset the girl further. Something was off with her again and he couldn't figure out what. "I'm not trying to get you on our side. I just want you to know the truth, I promise. Please believe us, Nev."

The girl slumped at the nickname, falling to the ground. "Why would they…?"

"They want to gain power," Yazoo said, stepping back to the window and wrapping his hands around the bars. "Killing us makes others fear them, and that in turn makes the people more willing to do what they say."

Neveah sighed, standing up. "I…I have to go talk to someone. To Xigbar," she murmured, shaking blue curls out of her eyes. "I…sorry," she said after a pregnant pause, scurrying out of the door and pushing Lexaeus in. She hadn't wanted to leave the boys with him, she just…had to figure a few things out. Before she made a huge mistake.

**XXXXXX**

She found Xigbar sitting on the ground in front of the window over-looking the courtyard. He was staring at the stars with a pained look on his face, like whatever he was thinking physically hurt him. She chanced a look at the yard below and saw dark stains littering the concrete. Some part of her mind was dancing around and singing, _"Blood, blood, blood on the ground! How many people do you think he put down?"_ but she chose to ignore it.

"Xigbar, can I talk to you?"

He glanced up at the girl, away from his visions of screaming and crying, little children's dying faces and blood, so much blood he could drown in it. "Yes, what is it?"

"Do you," she started after a minute, "do you like to kill people?"

Xigbar looked back at the stars, seeing a cherubic face twisted in agony. "Sit down, Neveah. Let me tell you a story."

Neveah sat down next to the man, keeping her eyes on the stars the way he was. "Is it a good story?"

"No," he whispered, "not at all."

_You see, when I was younger I practically lived at a shooting range. I went with my father every day and I would watch him shoot at the targets and drink himself stupid. I didn't go to school because, back then, you didn't need to. I could read and write, and that was enough._

_My father would drag me there as soon as it opened and we would stay there until closing. I won't lie; even at that age, I was fascinated by guns and how much power they possessed. Around the age of sixteen, my father got drunk enough to shoot himself. I wasn't mad at his friends for not stopping him, nor was I mad at myself for not being there; no, I was absolutely livid with him for doing it. So I began to frequent the place on my own, staying away from the bar, just shooting whatever guns I could get my hands on. By the time I was eighteen, I was the best there, and I was still taking my anger out on the targets._

_I decided to join the King's army, just to get myself away from the city that reminded me of my father. There I met a man who went by the name of Xemnas. He was excellent in swordplay and the only one who would talk to me. He told me things, after a while, that unsettled me. He spoke of _overthrowing_ the King and taking what he said was his rightful place on the throne. After failing to talk him out of it many, many times, I stopped talking to him at all._

_Weeks later he found me as I walked through what seemed like a desert, on my way to visit my home city. He had a wild gleam in his eyes that told me something was just _not right_. He spoke of "our" plan bearing fruit, us putting it into action soon. I tried to run, I really did, but he was just so much faster. He tackled me to the ground and pulled a dagger from I don't know where. He said if I didn't help he would do so much more than what he was about to._

_He took my eye, kid, as payment for that small betrayal I hadn't even intended. I won't test him again._

"He threatened to…kill you if you didn't do what he said?"

"You've got it. I won't go against him because I _won't die_. I want to, though, I do."

Neveah was looking at him now, fingers twitching. "Maybe… Xigbar, maybe-"

"Maybe you can do what I can't," he whispered, pressing a set of keys into her hand.

She only stayed long enough to get his directions. She left before she could hear him cry.

**XXXXXX**

The triplets were uneasy again. Yazoo had gotten the feeling first, but it had slowly spread to his brothers the way sickness spread through a home. Something was going to happen, but they didn't know what.

The door opened and in walked Neveah, Lexaeus leaving silently. She walked straight to the bars of the window, gripping them and leaning in. "You boys _have_ to be quiet, you hear me? Just shut up, don't make a single sound besides the ones you can't help. If you do you'll regret it," she whispered harshly, moving toward the door.

The boys heard the jingling of keys and then the door was swinging open and she was motioning for them to follow. They did as she had said, not understanding what was happening until they were out of the castle, running through the woods, running toward freedom.

They were going home.

**XXXXXX**

Stupid Cid, saying those things around Sora. But I got him good for what he did by throwing a frying pan at him. He said it shouldn't matter because Sora has been around worse things, but that doesn't mean we knows _those_ kinds of words, or that we want him using them. He needs to retain as much innocence as possible in this perpetually deteriorating world.

I glance up as the door to the bathroom opens and Sora wanders in, closing it behind him. He looks so small in this setting; so underfed that in the artificial light I can see his bones jutting out more than I remember. But he's clean, thanks to Miss Shera. The woman is so sweet, and she always took care of Roxas and I when we needed her to. I think she's trying to make up for the fact that she can't have children of her own.

I watch Sora as he slides down the wall to sit next to me on the royal blue rug, waiting for him to look in my direction. He never does, instead asking questions while staring at the cabinet under the sink.

"When am I going to see Kairi again?" he asks, voice so weak I have to strain to hear. "I miss my sister."

"I know Sora," I sigh out, "but I'm not sure."

It's silent for a very long time, the only sounds being my shuffling around and our ragged breathing. I stop thinking of everything going wrong long enough to wonder if he has bronchitis. Finally he shifts, looking me in the eye. And finally I see the ghost of the child he should be resurfacing and needing the sister I can't be. I wrap my arms around his tiny frame and rock him, pulling both of us into a little world all our own, anchored only by the unfamiliar bathroom rug.

"Are we going to die?" he breathes out, begging me to give him the answer he craves; begging me to lie.

I pull him closer, hold him tighter, and pray to whatever gods are watching over us to not let it happen. "It's possible, Sora. I won't lie to you. But I swear that as long as I'm with you, _you won't die._"

I can't help but hope that he has more faith in my words than I do.

**XXXXXX**

Cid was a little confused. He'd never seen his wife so…rude before, and especially not toward a child. He just didn't understand why she was so cold to the little brunette boy. She was usually so sweet to the ones that came with Naminé. He rounded the corner and found his brunette wife sitting on the couch, her glasses on the coffee table in front of her. He quickly went to her side and wrapped his arm around her waist, while she rested her head on his chest.

"You gonna tell me what's wrong?" he asked gruffly.

"Well…It's just that, I want to know where Roxas is. This is the first time he hasn't been here with his sister and I'm…sort of scared."

"Roxas is fine," he mumbled, trying to soothe Shera's worries. "Nami said so, and I believe her."

"But Cid," Shera said, voicing rising as she pulled away, "she could be lying! You can't have so much faith in a sixteen year old girl. She's still just a child herself, and just because she's been running around like an escaped prisoner doesn't mean she's ready for this! Something bad could have happened to Roxas, and then what? What will we do!?"

Cid stared at Shera, marveled at how her eyes were shining with tears and how she cared so much for these children she'd just met four years ago. "Shera, don't worry. Do you think the girl would be so calm if something was wrong with her brother?"

"I think," Shera began, voice trembling, "I think that she would try her best to hide it. So we wouldn't worry."

Cid put his hand on his wife's cheek, cradled her face as she closed her eyes. "I know we promised to take care of them, but you really need to calm down. I'm sure the boy's fine, and if he's not…well, if he's not I'll take care of it. I promise."

Shera sighed, putting her hand on Cid's. "I know, I know. I just…I can't help but worry. Since we met them four years ago, they've become so important to me. I don't know what I'd do if we lost one of them, honey. I just don't know."

"You won't lose them," Cid said, pulling the love of his life into a hug, "I won't let it happen."

They stayed like that for a very long time, Cid cradling Shera to his chest while she listened to his heartbeat. They only pulled apart when Naminé and Sora walked down the steps, hand in hand, and said they had something important to tell them.

By the look in Naminé's eyes, Cid knew this would be the last time he spent with his wife for a while.

**XXXXXX**

**Riiiight…so here it is, TADAAAA! -bows dramatically- I love myself sometimes. And I had to try to fit so much into this chapter, and I still couldn't fit all I wanted to because I sort of…got writers block on the last part. Hahh… But, anyways, the rest of the chapter's will probably be just like this one, jumping back and forth between Nami's POV and everyone else. But that's okay, right? Badgermoles are not mine, and neither or chus. Props to those of you who get the references in the first paragraph…which should be everyone. If not, well…you fail. No, not really! -coughcough-**

**Anyways, drop me a review, yo. Peace~**


	12. Chapter 12

_**Chapter 12**_

He woke up in a daze, the dank air around him making it horribly hard to breathe. He thanks anything and everything that it's too dark to see around in the place. The only source of light are his eyes, only emitting a dull glow because he hadn't been to a Mako Treatment Center in around two years - not since she'd told him to stop; and besides, the mako never really leaves your system anyways. He winces as he hears rustling and the sound of bones crunching, pushing himself farther away.

He isn't used to being so terrified or out-of-touch with reality, but being down there _does things_ to people. He changed and can't really remember much about the world up there, out of the dark; but he does remember eyes that have everchanging colour, ninjatricks and sugarlaughs and a girl he swears he loves telling him to _"Come on, Squall, just _one more_ time!"_ When he remembers those times with her he feels more safe, but he hurts and hurts and hurts until he stops remembering. He wonders absently if he'll ever see her again as the sounds of tearing flesh reach his ears.

There was another person there with him, her eyes bliss blue and shining brighter than his ever did - even with the mako injections. She said her name was…he can't remember what her name was. But she would giggle madly and askaskask**demand** to know where the hell that bastard White Rabbit was! He didn't know_ what_ the girl was talking about and she just said that they both had followed a silly white rabbit downdown _"down the rabbit hole, Mr. Leonhart, because he promised us we would find freedom."_ He sure as hell didn't see any freedom anywhere. Then he asked her how the hell she knew his name because he'd never told her, and she just let a giggle slip between lips that he was-is-will always be sure were stained red. She just kept talking about that goddmanmotherfucking white rabbit! He thought maybe it was the drugs.

She was there for a very long time, wandering around even when he'd told her to learn to stay still because the bad things come if they sense movement. She'd been obnoxious and he was pretty sure she was on some kind of acid but she was a nice distraction for both himself and the monsters; her chatter was a good way to ignore the sounds of bones crunchsnapcracking and _why can't he remember her fucking name!?_

Maybe he'll ask her when she's done being eaten.

**XXXXXX**

Selphie was pretty sure she'd never seen anything so bizarre in her life. She'd been running through town after town, trying to get to her home so she could warn the others; it never would have crossed her mind that she was too late if she hadn't seen that girl. She had been running across the main beach, where it was said the city of Atlantica had drowned, when she came upon her.

The girl had bloodred hair and the bluest eyes, and the only thing she could say was her name. She couldn't even get the whole thing out in one breath, saying "Ari…ari…ariel…" and Selphie was disgusted with herself. She wanted to vomit all over the girl, the Organization's experiment with splicing human and fish DNA. AriAriAriel had a _fish tail_ complete with scales, and gills on her chest where her breasts should have been. She had holes in her face where some sort of bird had pecked through, and it was as obvious as the sun that she was dying, couldn't breathe in or out of water, couldn't be saved.

AriAriAriel was begging and pleading and crying for Selphie to please just pull her out of the water, but Selphie wouldn't bring herself to do it. So she ran ran ran away from the wailing _mutant_ that was half in, half out of the water and knew that, years from now, AriAriAriel's face would still be haunting her because it finally made her realize that _she would be too late._

**XXXXXX**

Roxas was a little confused and a little scared and a little excited all at the same time. But the Gullwings - well, the Gullwings were downright terrified. Naminé had told them to bring the boy to Twilight Town, to a specific spot with specific directions how to get there. But the down was literally _burning_, and Yuna thought that maybe they should go. She turned around to see Rikku wrap her arms around the small boy, pulling him close and being the mother she never had. Paine sped up a bit when a building collapsed on itself somewhere behind them, deciding she didn't want to be there anymore.

Yuna ran to catch up with the silver-haired warrior, pulling her close and making her hunch down.

"Do you think she's okay?"

Paine pulled away from Yuna, straightening up and walking just a little bit faster, _needing_ to get out of the ghost town. And Yuna saw the answer, as did Rikku and Roxas, in the way the woman moved, leaving the destruction behind.

Of _course_ Naminé's okay. _She has to be._

**XXXXXX**

It's not every day that one meets a vampire. Lucrecia Crescent knew this all too well, so she counted herself lucky to be dating one. He wasn't a vampire per se; he just had long black hair, red eyes, and pale skin. Oh, and he'd been dead multiple times. He always came back, though, due to some genetic quirk he had. She'd studied it, being a scientist and everything, and it turns out that a multitude of the man's genes had mutated, so the vampirism was more like a virus than anything. A virus that kept bringing him back, no matter where he went or how many times he died. Her vampire's name was Vincent Valentine, and he was the love of her young life.

When Xemnas took power, Vincent began disappearing a lot. He would leave Lucrecia alone in their house, stay gone for days, sometimes weeks. Lucrecia never worried or complained because Vincent had always come back, no matter how long he was gone. He even came back with a little girl once, after being gone for two weeks, named Shelke Rui. She had red hair and blue eyes, and Lucrecia promised to take care of her. Then Vincent disappeared again, and he was gone for four months. Lucrecia had faith, however, because her love had come back every time before. When he finally came back, he brought a little girl with him that only spoke sentences of broken Wutaian. She had eyes that changed between three different colours and hair that was brown in one glance, black in the next. She was seven years old and her name was Yuffie. Vincent made Lucrecia swear to protect the girl with her life, no matter how much Lucrecia protested.

As the years went on, Lucrecia got to watch Vincent teach Yuffie to speak English, read, write, and fight like the ninja princess she was destined to be. And Lucrecia learned that Vincent cared more about his girls than he did about himself.

The point is, Lucrecia met Yuffie through Vincent. Yuffie Kisaragi was the apple of Vinnie's eye, the only one who could get away with calling him that out loud, the only person besides herself and Shelke that could get the man to say more than one seven-word sentence a day. Yuffie helped Lucrecia out when she needed it, cleaned up around their house, made sure Shelke was taken care of when Lucrecia couldn't be there. Yuffie was a girl of many talents, the main one being her invaluable ability to worm her way into people's hearts without them realizing it. Lucrecia, for being the strong woman she was, was no exception.

And then one day, their precious ninja warrior disappeared.

To say Vincent was furious would be an understatement. To say Lucrecia was worried sick would be a lie. To say Shelke was terrified for her little sister wouldn't be enough. The three of them were completely crushed, their carefully built family falling apart at the seams. Shelke got more and more sick, day after day; Lucrecia immersed herself in her studies, blocking everything out; and finally Vincent decided he was going to look for her sister and leave them both behind. The girls' hearts broke for the second time as they watched him leave.

Shelke was taken not long after that, and Lucrecia finally fell apart. She kept her promise to take care of herself, and ran to the safe house her father had told her about all those years ago. She found solace there, waiting for Yuffie, Shelke, or her beloved Vincent to arrive. Shelke and Vincent never did, but Yuffie showed up, bloody and beaten but stronger than she'd ever been and with passion in her that Lucrecia had never seen before. They fell back into the family setting and promised each other they would stay together until Vincent and Shelke returned to them.

Remembering this - every bit of it - Lucrecia's eyes filled with tears as she looked at the letter. Her ninja had left to find Leon, the man she fell in love with after she disappeared. Lucrecia had never felt more broken, but she understood and decided, then and there, to stop being the damsel. She would fight for her family and bring them back, no matter what it cost her.

**XXXXXX**

Tifa gasped out a breath, falling to her knees outside the house and staring up at the blue door in awe. Reno had said that this was where her niece was, and Reno had never failed her before. She glanced to her right as Reno collapsed beside her, chest heaving. She couldn't believe that this was the place and _he_ couldn't believe that his own personal mechanic was housing a runaway; a runaway that his fiancée desperately needed to find.

Reno watched as Rude made his way to the left of the door, Tseng to the right, both with guns out and ready; Elena crouched below the window looking into the living room; and Tifa still sat on the ground, gaping at the door.

"What do you want us to do?" Tseng asked, eye the martial artist tiredly.

She tilted her head at the man, confused, so Reno clarified. "We've gotten you this far, but the girl in there is _you girl_. We won't do anything unless you say so from here on out, so it's your call. We trust you."

Tifa looked between the four Turks before nodding her head resolutely. "Right. Reno, you said you know this man - this Cid?"

The red-head nodded, immediately understanding. He motioned for the remaining two men to move away from the door, then looked at Elena for confirmation that no one was going to attack them. At the blonde woman's nod, he stood up and _knocked_ on the back door.

The blue door opened with a resounding crash, Cid stumbling out with a yell. "Get off my lawn you piece of shit yo-yos! I don't want nothin' at do with ya!"

"Chill out, yo! It's just me - just Reno."

Cid took in the man's appearance, then looked at the other four in the group. He nodded, stepping back.

"You five are here for the girl, ain'tcha?"

Tifa stood from the ground and took a step forward. "Yes! Where is she? Where's Naminé?"

Cid shook his head, backing into the house. "I'm afraid I can't say. But if you'll follow me…"

All five of them got the hidden message, scurrying into the house behind the gruff mechanic. Tifa was smiling, was the _only one_ smiling, because it was finally happening. She was finally getting Naminé back.

**XXXXXX**

I stood there, helping Miss Shera cook in the confines of their basement home. All she has down here is a woodstove, but it's enough to make a decent meal. Right now we're making soup - chicken noodle, because Sora's allergic to tomato and it was the only other kind she had. I jumped when the door opened, not quite expecting it. Once I explained the situation to Cid he had put us all down here, claiming it was safe and saying we would leave in a few days. But now someone was coming in and I couldn't get my body to stop _shaking_; hearing Sora scratching the tabletop anxiously wasn't helping at all.

I finally saw Cid's feet on the steps and I **know** I'm not the only one that sighed in relief. It was weird, though; Cid wasn't the only one coming down. There were eight feet - four people - wearing nice dress boots and two feet - one person - one person - wearing combat boots. Cid was talking to them so they couldn't have been bad, but it still makes me nervous to think there may be intruders.

The first person I saw was a bald man that wore dark sunglasses even though he was inside; the second, a pale man with jet black hair who also had dark sunglasses on. The third person was also a man, tall with fire red hair, green eyes, funny marks on his face and goggles; the fourth person was a pretty blonde woman with blonde hair, wearing the same sunglasses as the first two people. What scared me about them, above all else, was the fact that all four of them had _guns_. I unconsciously stepped closer to Miss Shera, needing a mother's assurance.

The fifth and final new person was a woman. She was tall, but significantly shorter than the others; she wore clothes that were better than mine but looked like rags compared to the others' nice suits; she wore combat boots and her knuckles were bloody, and she had red I that I _swear on my life_ I've seen before. When she got down the stairs and her eyes landed on me, she gasped out a quiet _"Oh my __**gods above**__"_ in a voice that made me feel like I was running away and coming home, all at the same time.

I was in the woman's arms before I could blink and that was when I realized that I was coming home; or really, home came to me in the form of a crying, bruised, and bloody thirty year old martial artist with red eyes and a voice like absolute _heaven_. And I did the only thing that I could think of doing.

I cried too.

**XXXXXX**

**So, yeah. Kind of short, compared to the other chapters, but it's important! ~I liiike it, heh. I'm so excited for how this is going! I hope you like it as much as I do.**

**Review, yo.**


	13. The City Rises, Part One

**Before we begin, I need to say a few things. School's been eating my time, but I'm working on writing just for you loyal reviewers out there - and I got a sudden inspiration. I've been reading the **_**Mortal Instrument**_** trilogy by Cassandra Clare, and there was a poem in the second book, **_**City of Ashes**_**, that seriously inspired me -- I think that it relates well to the storyline of this particular fanfiction. So, without further ado, here's the poem that inspired me:**

_This Bitter Language_

_I know your streets, sweet city,_

_I know the demons and angels that flock_

_and roost in your boughs like birds._

_I know you, river, as if you flowed through my heart._

_I am your warrior daughter._

_There are letters made of your body_

_as a fountain is made of water._

_There are languages_

_of which you are the blueprint_

_and as we speak them_

_the city rises._

_-Elka Cloke_

**XXXXXX**

_**Chapter 13: The City Rises, Part One**_

It hurt, telling Aunt Tifa that I didn't know where Roxas was. It hurt, telling her that the friends I'd made kept disappearing, leaving no trace behind. It hurt, telling her everything I'd been through and everything I knew in my heart that I'd have to do. But most of all, it hurt just to see her.

She looked so anxious as she told me she'd been looking for us. She looked devastated when she said she'd always been just two steps behind me, forever out of reach. She just looked so distraught as she told me that Uncle Sephiroth wasn't angry, just upset that he'd let me down, and that he wishes I would've stayed. But most of all, she just looked broken.

She's asleep now, and I guess I should be, but I can't. This is where I grew up, on the edge of Midgar, and being here makes me miss my family more. My heart beats faster every time I near the edge of the city, because my body thinks I'm going home. But I'll never go home, because home is where the heart is, right? And my heart is with Selphie, with Yuffie, with Roxas, and with the Gullwings; with Zack and Kairi, and with Hayner, Pence, and Olette; with Axel, Marluxia, Larxene, Demyx, Riku, and Zexion. My heart is hundreds of miles away in a thousand different directions, with only two tiny fragments laying right next to me, sleeping as soundly as possible at a time like this.

I glance up the steps, through the closed door to the outside world, and imagine myself in a better place; a place without the Organization, without a world-wide war, without cities constructing walls to keep citizens in and keep the homeless _out_. And in that better place…that's where they are. In that better place, I'm home.

**XXXXXX**

Zack and Kairi were waiting for Naminé, at the spot that they met. It wasn't far from Twilight Town, but it had taken a while to get there; they'd had to run _around_ the town, and they knew Naminé would have run past the spot and doubled back. They knew all this, and knew that Naminé should have been there already -- but she wasn't. She wasn't there and they were alone, and Kairi was holding Zack's hand and trying not to cry as they stood there. She wouldn't cry though, because she had faith in Naminé, even more faith in him, and that's what scared Zack the most.

"Where d-do you think they ar-are?" Kairi hiccupped out, scooting closer to Zack's side.

"Dunno. But they're safe. Naminé would make sure of it."

"S-so where do we go from here?"

Zack shrugged, looking into the indigo eyes staring up at him. "Do you think we should stay and wait?"

Kairi was silent for a long time, staring down the path at something only she could see. Finally, she firmly shook her head. "No. We have to move and stay safe, and it's not safe here. I think…no, I know Naminé would want us to keep going, even if it is without her. And so would Sora…"

"Okay," Zack mumbled, chewing his lower lip, "so…where's safety?"

Both of the teenagers looked around, but neither of them saw any sign of help or safety. Zack felt Kairi's courage deflate, almost as if it were a physical entity. He squeezed her hand reassuringly, smiling as she rested her forehead on his arm.

"Zack…"

"Don't worry, okay? I'll keep you safe until we find a place."

"That's not what… Look, I'm-"

Suddenly Zack stepped back, jerking her with him, until they were half-hidden within the trees. He covered her mouth to keep her quiet, then looked intently out toward the path, where four people were walking by -- three women and one small boy.

**XXXXXX**

"How far is it to the place again?"

The woman with the silver hair growled slightly. "Shit Rikku, haven't you learned the name yet?"

The blonde girl that had spoken first looked sheepishly at the ground. "Well…no…"

"Even the damn kid knows it by know!"

The brunette in the group put her free hand on the silver-haired woman's arm. "Paine, please; watch your language and cut her some slack. Arguing won't help right now. Now Rikku, we're on our way to Balamb Garden."

Rikku blinked her swirly green eyes, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Didn't they build a wall around Garden, Yuna?"

Yuna nodded. "Yeah. They _should_ let us in; they know Besaid has been destroyed."

The small boy holding Yuna's other hand looked up at her. "Will we be safe there?"

Yuna smiled down at him, but it was Rikku that answered. "Of course we will. Don't worry, Roxas."

Roxas nodded, satisfied with her answer, and went back to staring into the trees.

**XXXXXX**

Kairi almost jumped out of Zack's arms when she saw the boy's face, heard his name. He looked so much like Sora - just like Naminé looked like her - so he _had_ to have been the Roxas they were looking for.

She struggled madly as Zack tightened his grip, pulling her close to his chest, and clamped his hand more securely over her mouth so she couldn't call out. She struggled harder as they got farther away, and when the group was almost too far gone, Kairi sunk her teeth into Zack's hand.

"_Roxas!_" she shrieked, slamming into the ground and darting off into a run. "R-Roxas, wait!"

"Kairi, no!" Zack yelled, running after the smaller girl and clenching his bleeding hand into a fist. "Kairi, stop! Don't!"

Roxas spun around upon hearing his name and was surprised to see a girl that looked like his sister with red hair running at him. He let her scoop him up into her arms and bury her face in his hair before quietly mumbling, "Naminé?"

"No," the girl sobbed, "no, I'm Kairi. But I know your sister, and I promise you she's safe. Everything's going to be fine!"

Roxas smiled a little before slightly hugging Kairi back. It was okay.

Naminé was safe.

**XXXXXX**

Yuffie had been running for a very long time. It had been a few days since she'd run from the safe house, and she hadn't stopped once to rest. She was determined to find Naminé; she was _going_ to find Squall; she _would_ bring her family back together; and she could not stop running, no matter what.

She was forced to stop, however, when she came to a blockade; a huge wall, right where the edge of Destiny City should have been. She glared up at it, calling it every dirty word she knew, then fell to the ground. They were already putting up the walls -- she really was too late. Silence descended upon her for hours as she slumped against the wall, feeling useless and defeated.

"Um…why are you sitting on the ground there?" a little girl asked, causing Yuffie to look up into big brown eyes. "You wanna go inside?"

Yuffie nodded, dumbstruck, taking the small girl's hand and letting herself be led into the safest city on the planet - which was right where she needed to be.

**XXXXXX**

The silence in the Hideout was deadly, which was horribly unusual; the halls normally had a small bit of noise, but not even the dust was settling to the floor. Down the hall, in the largest room, a meeting was being held to assess losses and make note of strengths.

"So, what do we have?" a blonde man asked, leaning forward in the seat Yuffie had claimed as her own in his absence. "And what are we missing?"

Lenne felt a strong urge to lose herself in his twinkling blue eyes, but resisted as he asked the questions again. Leaning back in her own chair, she prepared herself for a long night of explanations and battle strategies.

"We have the boy you've been searching for," she stated, gesturing to the group in the room. "His name is Riku. We have a group - the group you're looking at - willing to _die_ for the girl and her brother. We have reinforcements on the way, and I've gotten word from the Turks that they have the girl and the young prince in their care, and they're on the way back as we speak with-"

"What have we lost, Lenne?"

"Surely, Shuyin, you don't believe that I would-"

"Lenne, my love, Yuffie is not here. That alone tells me what I need to know. Now I'll ask again - what have we lost?"

Lenne sighed, looked down and folded her hands on the table. "We have lost…a lot. More than we've gained. We- …Yuffie's left, and Lucrecia has followed, in order to reunite a family that's forever lost. We found Shelke's body yesterday, beaten and broken and raped, and I'm afraid that Vincent found it first -- the necklace was missing. The princess is so far off our radar it hurts, the Strife boys have gone missing as well, and Selphie is…well, I'm not certain, but I'm afraid Miss Tilmitt is beyond salvageable. We also…Shuyin?"

Shuyin was sitting, head in his hands. "Yuna…what about Yuna?"

Lenne sighed, turning to the topic she'd been dreading. "She has the boy, and she was passing The Great Divide…but we lost contact. The last I knew, the girls were safe."

"And…my brother? Have you…"

"No…there are search parties, but nothing's turned up."

Shuyin nodded, rubbing his eyes and sitting back up. He looked at the ragtag bunch of orphans. "So what, exactly, is your plan of action?"

Lenne watched as Marluxia began outlining his strategies and fight plans, and felt sadness filling her entire _soul_ and beginning to weigh her down more. Everything was shattering when it was all supposed to be coming together, and no matter how hard she scrambled to tighten her grip, it all kept slipping through.

She screamed and cried inside her head. _'When did I start losing control?'_

**XXXXXX**

Sephiorth was sitting at his kitchen table reading the paper when his door busted in. He saw a small girl run in and only took note of the Organization cloak before he had Masamune out, poised dangerously at her throat. He saw the fear in her eyes and almost faltered, because normal Organization members never showed fear, if they felt at all.

"Dad!"

Sephiroth jerked his eyes away from the girl, settling them on his sons.

"Father please," Yazoo began, "she helped us escape. But we'll explain it later, because right now we-"

"Get out of the house!" Loz yelled, running for the back door and wrenching Neveah out of it. "Go, go!"

Yazoo dragged Kadaj through the house, Sephiroth on his heels, and threw his little brother through the door after Neveah, just as the front of the house was blown off from a bomb let off by Saïx.

Growling, Sephiroth grabbed Yazoo and Loz, pushing them through the door and running out after them just as their house went up in flames. They ran - he made them run - through the woods and to Destiny City, where he knew they would be safe.

As the house burned, Saïx wandered through the rooms, coming upon a picture above the fireplace. It showed Cloud Strife, his wife Aerith, their first child, and Aerith's sister Tifa (an ever present thorn in his side); it also showed Sephiroth Strife, his three boys, and a beautiful woman with long silver hair pulled into a braid, forever frozen in a laugh and holding Kadaj on her hip. Saïx's grin was feral.

He took pride in the fact that those blue eyes would never see again.

**XXXXXX**

"Aunt Tifa?"

She looked down at me, her red eyes wide with excitement. "Naminé, sweetie, you have to be **quiet** if we're going to sneak into the place."

"Um, Aunt Tifa, about the sneaking in. We do-"

"Naminé, kiddo, you heard your aunt," Mister Reno said, repositioning himself under the window. "You gotta be quiet if we wanna go in undetected, okay?"

"But that's just it!" Sora shrieked, jumping up and flailing his arms around. "_NO ONE_ is going to catch us because this place is DESERTED!"

I sighed heavily, thanking the heavens that Sora was still young enough to disobey older people. "Exactly," I mumbled while everyone in the group turned their heads, looking at the two of us. "We were here when it happened, which is exactly why we didn't want to come back. Twilight Town went up in _flames_ Aunt Tifa. There's nothing here but burnt buildings like the one you guys are about to pilfer charred food from."

"B-b-but," Aunt Tifa stuttered out, "but this place was supposed to be _safe_. Why…who would…who would do something so horrible?"

"I'll give you three guesses, hon," Reno muttered, kicking a black rock out of the way and punching the side of the building.

Miss Elena growled angrily and pulled at her hair while Mister Rude began cleaning his sunglasses and Mister Tseng rubbed his temples. Cid just sat and stared at the building.

"Can we go now?" I asked pitifully, pulling on Reno's sleeve and taking a few steps back. "Please? Sora and I want to _go_, we don't want to be here any more. _Please_ don't make us stay here any longer."

Reno sighed, nodding and pulling Tifa up off the ground. "We came here for nothing," he sighed, putting his arm around Tifa's shoulders. "I guess we should listen when Naminé talks, huh?"

Sora nodded and began running toward the edge of town, jabbering the entire way. He's excited to leave this place, and I can't say I blame him, but I wish he would be a little quieter. I keep getting the feeling we're being watched, and I think Cid feels the same way, but I can't pinpoint where the eyes are…or who they belong to.

**XXXXXX**

Xemnas grinned, stepping closer to the edge of the cliff. Yes, yes, the girl was right -- they were being watched, and by the devil himself. "Oh Xaldin, you have no idea how happy this makes me," Xemnas cooed, sounding almost giddy. "You've brought me to one of the things I desire most, given me the little prince on a silver platter, _and_ the Lockhart woman to boot. I'm extremely proud of you, Xaldin. You may just have to be promoted."

Xaldin grinned wickedly. "Why Majesty, I have more."

Xemnas turned his head a fraction, looking at Xaldin from the corner of his eye. "And what might that be?"

Xaldin grinned his feral grin, running his hand along one of his lances. "I've gained confirmation that the brat's brother is with the Gullwings, heading to Balamb Garden. The girls seem to be under the impression that they will be safe from us there, but I've already sent Lexaeus out, Luxord in tow."

"Why Luxord? I told you not to trust him with anything important, not since he let the Tilmitt girl escape!"

"Those three girls are vicious. If anyone can handle them, Sire, it is Luxord and his…_unique_ brand of persuasion. Unfortunately, I also have some unsettling news…"

Xemnas narrowed his eyes. "Which is…"

"Xigbar has left us, hoping to stop what's already started. Since he's my superior, I decided that I'd better ask you before taking any course of action."

Xemnas' sigh could almost pass for sadness. "I'm afraid we'll have to exterminate him, Xaldin. We can't have a bug like that running rampant in the world, especially since he knows our secrets."

Xaldin nodded, he and Xemnas turning back to watch the retreating figures of the witch, the prince, the martial artist and the mercenaries. Whatever happened would happen, he knew, but he could only hope for it to happen soon.

He _so _wanted to see their blood rain down.

**XXXXXX**

**Wooow, so that took a while. And the part with Tifa and Reno and the pillaging, yeah that's not so good. But hey, I needed that part! -anger- Alas, not everything I write can be perfect…which I believe is totally obvious. Anyways, Christmas break, whoo!!!!! Unfortunately, I'm getting my wisdom teeth cut out. -sob- It's okay, I'll still write, because I've got a fantastic idea for another story!!! It won't be out until I finish one of these, but keep an eye open. **

**Review and I'll…give you cookies? Or maybe make a cameo of you and put you in my new story? Hah, yeah, I'll do that--much easier.**

**Loves much. --Rissa**


	14. Chapter 14

**Holy sweet bejeesus, it's been forever, hasn't it? That can be explained, but it's a long and drawn-out story that I doubt you'll want to hear. So here's the abridged version: highschool finals, highschool graduation, moving five hundred miles away from my family for college, coming to terms with the fact that I won't get to see them every day, adjusting to the college workload, and working in retail. So, yes. Anyways, here it is.**

**And just so you all know, working in retail blows around the holidays. It's like hell on Earth.**

_**Chapter 14**_

The city, Yuffie realized quite quickly, was thriving.

It was a full city, the streets so crowded that car owners couldn't hope to drive on them. Everyone walked to wherever they wanted or needed to go, and no matter how they moved, would always be in physical contact with another body. Yuffie had the distinct impression that, even well after midnight was past, the streets would still be alive with the hustle and bustle of everyday life, the stores and shops and corporations still lit up and beckoning.

That is not to say, of course, that the city wasn't rather run down—because what city hadn't previously taken in beggars and victims of war, the homeless and the near-dead, without losing some of its luster? The Powerhouses of Destiny City had taken in too many people during their times of need, which had caused the city to fill up to its breaking point and was one of the many reasons for the construction of the Great Wall—the main one being, of course, to protect the city and its inhabitants from the destruction the War would undoubtedly bring.

And the girl, despite her age, had to have known all of that. Why, then, had she extended a hand, and commanded the entrance open to admit them both?

Yuffie didn't know. She doubted she ever would, but the unabashed smile on the girl's face was enough to ease her nerves as she was lead through the city. She couldn't stop her hope, her thoughts that Vincent may be here, or Squal_leon_ had taken refuge in one of the apartments, or even Shelke had found her way to this broken metropolis (but in her heart, she knew her pseudo-sister was never physically strong like that, would never have made it, but what does one have if they do not have hope?). She turned her eyes and attention to the small girl in front of her and let a faint smile touch her lips.

"What's your name?" Yuffie asked, "And where are you taking me? Not that I don't appreciate your help or anything!" The last sentence was said loudly and all in one breath, for fear of offending the girl.

The girl laughed, and it sounded like bells. "To Dad," she chirped, pointing to a large house situated on an even larger hill in the middle of the city. "And my name's Marlene. What's yours?"

Yuffie was silent for a long moment, pondering her fate if she told the girl. And then she smiled to herself, because it wasn't like her to _ponder_ anything—she always acted first, thought and questioned later, and why should now be any different when she was probably going to end up as another nameless face in the crowd?

"I'm Yuffie," she answered, as casually as if she hadn't just been thinking about her death (and for all Marlene knew, she hadn't).

Marlene's face lit up as she tugged Yuffie's arm, urging the ninja faster in the direction of the hill.

"_Oh,_ Daddy'll like that."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

It was not enough, would never be enough, and Zexion knew it, deep in the marrow of his bones. She was alive, yes—he knew that, too, within his soul—but it would never be enough. She wasn't here—wasn't with him—and no amount of armies or fighters or sheer force of will would be enough to stop her from finding her brother and _destroying_ the people that tried to hurt him; that tried to get in her way.

Zexion hurt, physically ached in his chest every time he thought of it, because if she would just _come back_, then he would help her. But she wouldn't, and _they_ would have to be the ones to find her, which would be so much easier if the only place they knew she would go hadn't _burned to the fucking ground!_

Zexion remembered that, too, because it was the single most terrifying thing that had ever happened, and not just because he knew from personal experience how easy it would be to simply sleep through a fire raging around you. No, it was bone-chilling horror because what if she was there when it went up in flames—what if she couldn't make it out in time—_what if she was dead?_ And Zexion knew a lot of things, and he knew he had only known her for a short amount of time (all the time in the world would have been too short, in his personal opinion), but he had only just come to the revelation that he already cared a great deal about her.

And, despite everything Zexion knew and everything he knew he would learn, he wasn't sure that he could go on living if Naminé didn't. And that, more than anything, scared him to death.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

There wasn't much down there, no food or water or sunlight (or artificial light, but that was neither here nor there). So it boggled his mind as to how someone could survive down in the Pit of Despair and come out looking severely malnourished instead of near-starved and dying. Not that the man would have been any less crazy, mumbling about crunchy girls and Bliss-bright eyes and monster-creature-bad things (and there were no monsters down in the Pit, but he wasn't about to say that to the deranged man's face).

It came as no surprise that the man had no idea how long he'd been in there—weeks? months? years? (The man said centuries, but they all knew that was a lie.) He himself was no stranger to confusion about where he was, who he was, why he wasn't back in _that place_ anymore. Hell, sometimes he still woke up disoriented, not realizing he was no longer floating on an exceptionally large piece of driftwood on the sea, with nothing but the blue or black of the sky to keep him company (because nothing else existed out there, it had come to seem). But eventually he would regain his sense, remember that someone had rescued him, and smile because even though this was a war-torn land it was better than sky and stars and waves and his own mind as his only companions.

That was why Tidus knew he had to get the man out of the Pit, before he went past the point of saving. So he had his red-eyed companion lower him down attached to a rope, had tied the rope around the deranged man's middle, and the red-eyed man pulled them up and out and to freedom. But the man from the Pit couldn't remember his name to save his life (not that it could) and he didn't know the red-eyed man's name (and wouldn't bring himself to ask), so they all remained nameless to one another but stuck together because it was all they _could_ do.

And as he watched Crazy (which he called the man to his face) and Red (which he wouldn't dare say out loud), he kind-of-sort-of-almost freaked his shit. Because Crazy would scrunch his nose up at whatever food was in front of him, which he didn't understand, and Red only drank what maybe-could-be blood, which he was used to, and it brought him to a rather startling and unsettling conclusion.

Maybe, when the man was in the Pit, he had taken to eating other people? Maybe those monsters gnashing bones between their teeth had actually been him, but he was so out of it that he didn't realize what he was doing? It was a stretch, Tidus knew—but he also knew it would explain the lack of monsters, the blood and bones, and why Crazy only looked ridiculously malnourished.

It would explain the crunchy girl, too.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Selphie couldn't do it anymore. She knew that a few towns back, knew it a few _months_ back even, but had kept running out of her need to find Naminé. But now she was tired, so _so_ very tired, lodged in an abandoned house in the middle of nowhere and with only her thoughts.

The Master would fall. Naminé would save Roxas. The World would begin to rebuild itself. She knew all of this, deep in her heart-of-hearts. She also knew, beyond any doubt, that she would never get to see it.

She'd never know what become of Seifer, Fuujin or Raijin—were they alive somewhere, making names for themselves? She'd never know if Vivi was ever able to gain control of the magic coursing through his body. Never again would she see the pure happiness on the faces of Hayner, Pence and Olette as they regaled her with a tale of their adventures. And she'd never see Naminé and Roxas together again, which was what had prompted her to stay for as long as she had.

There was no explanatory note left for anyone. She had nothing to explain; she wasn't sick, she wasn't within the last months of pregnancy, she hadn't been grievously injured or poisoned. She was just so tired. She knew it was her time. Irvine, her precious, moronic, loveable Irvine, had died.

She was ready to join him.

She washed herself as best as she could with the remainder of her water. She put on the cleanest clothes she could find in her bag, tried to make her hair into something somewhat presentable, and looked outside. The moon told her it was nearing nine o'clock; she only had a little time left. She prepared a dinner of canned soup, heating it over a fire and drinking it straight from the can. She then puttered around the house, straightening furniture and dusting to the best of her ability.

Another peek outside and she smiled, going to the small bed and arranging herself on it. Her head on the dusty pillow, the moth-eaten blanket pulled up to her waist, her hands folded on her chest and a content smile on her face.

At exactly twelve o'clock, midnight, Selphie Tilmitt closed her eyes.

When she opened them again, she was with Irvine.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Yeah, right, so. Sort of a filler, isn't it? It can be thought of that way, but it needed to be written; there had to be some sort of insight into everyone else again. There had to be some issues resolved and there had to be some characters introduced, or re-introduced, or done away with. Loose ends being tied up, or beginning to be tied up.**

**I love Selphie. I do. But she just had to die. (And don't worry—she didn't feel anything, in the end.)**

**REVIEW! I need something to keep myself going. Please?**


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